Zane Learns to Read the Woods
Zane goes for a walk with Grandpa and learns to see what the forest is saying.
On Saturday morning, Zane went walking in the woods with Pip the pony. ‘Today,’ said Pip, ‘we’re going to listen with our eyes.’ Zane wasn’t sure what that meant.
They stepped quietly along the trail. Pip stopped and pointed at the mud. ‘Look.’ Zane crouched down and saw a trail of claw marks by a hole. ‘A badger passed by here this morning,’ whispered Pip.
Further on, they saw a feather, a nibbled acorn and a spider web covered in dew. Each one told a little story. Zane began to notice more and more: bark scratched by a squirrel, a nest high in a tree.
They sat by a stream and ate sandwiches. A woodpecker tapped in the distance. A dragonfly hummed past. Zane realised the forest was full of life, once you slowed down enough to see it.
On the way home, Zane said, ‘Thanks, Pip. I never knew woods could talk.’ Pip smiled. ‘They always do. You just have to listen.’ And Zane kept looking all the way home.
The little lesson
If you slow down and look, nature tells you wonderful stories.
Let’s talk about it
- What tracks have you seen?
- What did Grandpa show Zane?
Finish stories to collect Zane as a sticker in your Sticker Book.
More Outdoors stories
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Iris at the Seaside
Iris builds a sandcastle, and the tide comes in. Oh no! Or maybe, oh yes!
Jack’s First Camping Trip
Jack sleeps in a tent for the first time and hears all the night sounds of the woods.
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