The friends laughed. Nathaniel looked at Henry, brow furrowed in disbelief.

Henry continued. “Each morning the farmer pours grain in my trough. He does the same for Gerti, Sally Sue, and John Paul.”

“Who feeds you?” John Paul asked Nathaniel.

“I do.” Nathaniel replied. “The big oak tree drops acorns when they are ripe. I gather them and store them for winter. I don’t have time to play.”

As they were talking, Sally Sue looked down, seeing acorns, she knew just what to do. Gerti began helping and soon they exclaimed. “ Now you have time to play! We gathered acorns for you.”

“Wow!” Nathaniel exclaimed as he jumped down.

To Nathaniel’s surprise, Gerti the goat and duck, Sally Sue, had gathered a large mound of acorns for him.

Running from place to place, Nathaniel began digging shallow holes. Then he quickly came back, stuffed his cheeks with acorns to bury them in the holes he dug.

After watching him cover them with leaves, Henry asked. “Now what should we do?”

“Play!!” Shouted Nathaniel.

“Yay!!” All the friends sang in unison.

The friends, old and new, ran through the hills. Eager for adventure. Eager for fun. And eager to run!