Momma does not like the Meadow. She does not want me to spend time there, and especially she does not want me to sneak off and spend time there all by my lonesome. And usually I am very, very good at minding. Especially when it’s a thing about being safe, which is why most of the few rules I do have exist. The Meadow one seems a little different, though. Not like don’t stand under the precariously balanced fallen tree, it might fall down and hurt you. That makes sense. Stay all the way away from the Meadow, though? That seems silly. Meadows are pretty and fun to frolic in. And where else am I supposed to make new friends?

So instead of staying curled up and cozy at nap time, I maybe do something a teensy bit naughty and sneak away. Which is harder than I expected, ‘cause Mommy and Daddy are very good at watching. Kind of too good, really. But I’m also good at running around ‘til they’re exhausted, and just once I manage to make them both super sleepy at the same time, and curl up for a cuddle just long enough that they fall good and asleep.

Probably this will only work once. I bet, anyhow. Oooh maybe they’ll make Uncle Kade keep watch too, then I’ll get to play with him extra lots! See, so it’s a great idea all around! Anyhow, when they’re snoozing away, I slo-o-o-owly get up and step oh so carefully out of the cuddle pile and even hold my breath so I don’t make noise. Which is harder than I thought it’d be! In fact, by the time I escape the cuddle pile - escape! a cuddle pile! who’d’ve ever guessed I’d want to do that?! - I’m just about gasping for breath! Still, it’s worth it, and I hop and bounce and scamper quiiiietly away to go make a new friend.

Oh goodness, but it takes way longer than I expected to get anywhere at all. Even out of Sylva is pretty far. All the way around the big mountain, and across a river, through all sortsa forests, goodness me. I have to stop and ask for directions a lot a lot, and in doing so I found out I do not, in fact, know how to speak anything but horse. How unfortunate. I bet birdies would be fun to talk to, and so would deer and bunnies and all sorts of things, probably. Those cute little foxies? I bet even teensy little micies have lots to say, if you know how to listen.

Alas, I do not.

My feet hurt and my legs hurt and my most of me hurts by the time I get there, and I’m kind of wondering if maybe secretly Momma was right about this being not the best idea in the history of ever, but home is too far for me to turn around now, not when I made it all the way here! So instead, I wander around looking for a new friend to say hi to and cuddle and play with, and instead! Ohhh instead, I find a big ol’ hole in the ground, like a crater or something, and a shiny pretty boy standing in the middle.

“Hi there!” I say with a big grin on my face, and I try to scramble carefully down into the hole too. But I guess scrambling and being careful are not a good mix, because after a couple of too-speedy steps, I get all tangled and tumble down, down, down to rest in a heap at his feet. “Oof. Ow. I gotta practice better, I don’t think feet are s’posed to do that when you work ‘em right.” I take a couple of breaths, waiting for the world to stop swimming around me all dizzy-like from all the rolling. And when I can focus my eyes again, I look up at my new friend with a lopsided smile. “Hiya. My name’s Rora. What’s yours?”