Curious things have been happening in the Hollow. Magical things. First, Lucy and Ozzie Snipadoodle were shampooing at the Baabaa Spa & Hair Salon when they heard a knock at their door. They left their customers to answer and when they returned – their hair was dry and bows had been placed on each head. The Snipadoodles were so surprised. Where did these bows even come from? While the customers were talking, they thought it was Lucy and Ozzie Snipadoodle styling them. But that was just the beginning.
Next to report something magical and curious were the Bushytail Squirrels. They were having a usual early morning, baking to their heart’s content in the Tickle-Your-Taste-Buds bakery. Their routine got interrupted when they got a call from the school. And when they returned, their four steaming pies of every variety – peach, blueberry, apple, rhubarb and pumpkin where lined up, boxed in glittery boxes with pretty velvet bows tied on each. Ready to go! Oliver and Maggie could hardly believe their eyes! The bakery was locked up tight and there was no one in sight.
At first many of their fellow neighbors thought they heard the stories wrong or some detail was missing.
“Who would possibly decorate those pies?” Suds Tidyshine asked his wife Sally. “They must have done it the night before and were sleepy that morning and forgot!”
“Yes, or maybe the kids are playing a trick on them?” Sally suggested.
The Tidyshine turtles were very convinced of their theory until they too had a surprise that they just couldn’t explain. They headed out one morning to tidy a few neighbors’ homes but upon arrival realized they had forgotten their roller skates. The Tidyshine’s always wear them to help in speedy cleaning. As they opened the door outside to head back home to grab them – there on the doorstep were the roller skates. They both burst out laughing. As they polished the floors, every few moments they would start giggling again and go in all directions trying to control their wheels.
The community gathered together trading their stories. They had a few clues, which they shared with each other.
“Clue number #1! I definitely smelled acorns when I came back into the Baabaa salon,” Lucy Snipadoodle announced.
“Yes! I also saw a few shells on the window ledge,” agreed Sally Tidyshine.
Some neighbors looked over at the Bushytails as they knew that they were acorn lovers. Could they be playing a little joke?
The Honeysuckle Hollow community spent the rest of the day putting together all the notes they had but did not come up with too much. As they talked and laughed drinking hot coco, the snow fell outside. As they prepared to go, Maggie Bushytail spotted something just outside the window in the snow.
They ran to the door and opened it wide. There was a big heart shape made in the snow that was made up of snow angels. They all looked up and around and although they could not spot anyone, they saw small footprints leading into the forest.
Tune in next week for Part II of this story!
