This story is for the spring competition.

I just love this time of year. Our carrots are fresh, and the sky seems bluer. The flowers are all blooming and are so colorful. The scent of fresh berries and greens fills the air.

It's the time to start a new family. My wife, Bonny Bunny, really wants some young ones, and this spring seems to be the perfect time for us to have a little one.

I see Sam Squirrel over there. I think I will wave at him and see how things are in his life.

“Hey Sam, how are things? How is the wife?”

Sam replied, “Mean as always until I gather some fresh nuts and berries. I am going to pick some fresh flowers for her so our nut house will be brightened up. How is Bonny?”

I replied, “She is wonderful as she always is. We are thinking of starting a family this year. I have dug a very deep hole so that darn Freddie Fox can't get to our family. Have you seen Bubba Bear this year? You know how crabby he can be when he comes out of his cave.”

Sam replied, “You know I saw him yesterday, and I steered clear of him. He had just woken up and was angry as he always is when he gets up in the spring. I did not want him raiding the few nuts and berries I have saved up or mistaking me for a nut.”

I replied, “I know you are right. He can be a bear when he first gets up. I'd better get back to gathering some more food and lining our burrow with some more leaves and flowers.  Some of the berries, nuts, and beans can only be found in the springtime, as you know. I will talk to you soon, Sam, and be careful out here, watch out for Freddie and Bubba.”

I went back to gathering some fresh twigs and leaves for our burrow, always on the lookout for those nasty foxes and bears.

As I was working, I thought, and I wondered if there was any way we could all get along. Bubba loves berries and nuts, but he does not need to eat my friend Sam. Freddie. I know he loves the same foods as Bubba does.

I just had to come up with a way for us to all live in peace this time of year, as it is so beautiful outside.

I went down our burrow, and Bonny was making up a nice batch of my favorite meal. It was beans and berries. With some nice spices we picked from a nearby garden. The aroma could be smelled for miles around, I would think.

I smiled at Bonny and said, “I love it when you make that meal for us. Thank you, Bonny.”

She said, “I love cooking for you, Barry. I hope you like this batch.”

As we were eating, I heard a knock at our burrow door.

I said, “It figures every time we are having dinner, someone wants something.”

Bonny yelled at me, “Now be careful, that could be that tricky Freddie fox. You know how he is, and maybe he smells the food.”

I peered through a few leaves leading to our burrow door and saw it was Sam Squirrel.

I opened the door and asked, “What can I do for you, Sam?”

He said, “I don’t mean to be a beggar, but that food that Bonny cooked smells so good, I was wondering if I may have a couple of bowls of it to take home for Samantha and me. It smells so good, I could smell it from all the way over to my nut house.”

I replied. “Of course, just give us a minute to get you two a couple of bowls.

I went and told Bonny, and she made a couple of bowls for Sam, and I gave them to him and went back to eating my dinner.

The following day, I saw Sam by the door of his nut house talking to a cardinal and a bluejay. So, I hopped on over to see what was going on.

I tipped my ears to the cardinal and bluejay and asked Sam, “How did you like Bonny’s cooking?”

He frowned and said, “I don’t know. Before I could get a bite of it, that darn Feddie came out from behind some bushes. He had me trapped, and I just knew it was curtains for me. Suddenly, I saw him sniffing, and he asked me, “What's in the bowls? It sure smells good. If you give it to me, I will spare your life today.”

Sam said, “I gave it to him and ran back to my nut house. It was a good thing I had those bowls. Thank Bonny for me.”

Then I saw the yellow of a creature's eyes behind a bush, and Freddie jumped out.

My rabbit knees were knocking, and the cardinal and blue jay flew away.

Sam yelled at me, " Come on, Barry, get in my nut house.”  

I hopped in just in the nick of time.

Freddie said, “No need to run from me, I won't hurt you two. All I wanted was some more of that delicious food I ate in those bowls. If you make more of that, then I will never hunt you two again or your families.”

Freddie's nose caught a scent of something, and he dashed behind a tree.

Suddenly, Bubba came walking through the forest, and he said, " What's all the commotion here. I was trying to take a nap.”

Freddie stuck his head out from the tree and said, “I was trying to get some more of the food that was in some bowls that Sam had. I have a little left here in this bowl. Could I offer it to you, Bubba?”

Bubba, walking at a slow pace, went to where Freddie had left the bowl, sat down, stuck his paw in the bowl, scraped the little bit that was left, and ate it.

We all watched his reaction. It was clear he liked it as he licked the bowl.

Bubba grunted out, “Yum yum, that was delicious. Have any more?”

I spoke up and said, “I can ask Bonny to make more, but we must be able to collect more of the berries, beans, and spices. With you and Freddie around, it's hard for us to do as we are afraid of you two.”

Bubba said, “No need to be afraid of me, and if Freddie gives you two any trouble, he will answer to me. I will tell you what I can also help you gather to make that food. So will Freddie. Wont you, Freddie?”

Freddie, shaking behind the tree, said, “Of course I will.”

I assigned them a list of things we needed and gave it to them. Each one of them had a certain item to collect.

The cardinal and the bluebird sitting high in the tree above us chirped. “We will help if you give us some.”

Three days later, outside my burrow was a supply of the things Bonny needed to make her special recipe of food.

It took her two days to make enough for everyone, and upon completing it.

I was still unsure if Bubba and Freddie were telling the truth and would not harm my friends or me.

I yelled out to Sam and his wife, Sara, “Food is ready, come on over and have some.” They both dashed over and went down my burrow.

I yelled out for Bubba to come over, and within two minutes, he and Freddie came out from the forest and sat down outside my burrow.

I ran out and handed each of them a bowl of Bonny’s food.

We all watched them eat for a minute before Bubba said, “Come join us in the spring feast. I promise no one will hurt you all.”

We all came out of my burrow and sat in a circle, feasting on Bonny's delicious food. Even the cardinal and bluejay joined in.

It is amazing what spring can do. Plants and flowers are blooming. The feeling of newness. The making of friends who were once enemies. The joy of food and new friends.