Chippy's Big Mix-up
MINI MINI STORIES
Chippy Chipmunk had a little problem.
He was very good at talking.
Listening? Not so much.
One morning, Olive Wise Owl gathered the forest animals beneath
Old Oak Tree to make an important announcement.
Chippy arrived late.
“On Saturday, be sure to bring a sack, because we're going to—” Olive began.
Just then, an acorn rolled past Chippy's feet.
He darted after it, chased it behind a bush, and finally caught it.
“...and meet at the pond at nine!” Olive finished.
Chippy hurried back.
“What did I miss?” he asked Rabbit.
“Something about Saturday,” Rabbit replied, munching on his carrot.
Chippy thought for a moment.
He was sure he'd heard Olive say something about a snack and meeting at the pond.
“Don't worry!” he declared. “I heard the important part!”
He raced off to tell the animals who hadn't been there.
“Everyone!” he announced. “Olive says we're having a pond picnic on Saturday! Bring a snack and meet at the pond at nine!”
By Saturday morning, the forest animals were ready.
Rabbit brought carrot sandwiches.
Hedgehog arrived with berry muffins.
Beaver brought enough bark-shaped biscuits to feed an army.
When Olive arrived carrying a pile of empty sacks, she stopped dead.
“Why are you all having a picnic?”
Chippy blinked.
“Didn't you say to bring a snack?”
“I said a sack! We're having a forest clean-up!”
The animals burst out laughing.
Olive sighed.
“Well, since you're all here, we might as well enjoy a little picnic after the clean-up.”
“I'm sorry about the mix-up. Next time, I'll make sure I hear the whole announcement before I tell everyone about it!” he declared.
“Excellent,” said Olive. “Now, Chippy, please pick up all the rubbish you can find.”
Chippy's ears perked up.
“Pick up all the rabbits? Why?”
Olive closed her eyes.
“It's going to be a very long Saturday.”
A little something to think about
In this story, Chippy got distracted while Olive was speaking and missed the reason everyone was supposed to meet at the pond. Instead of asking questions or making sure he understood, he guessed what she meant and passed the wrong information along to the other animals.
The moral:
It's important to listen carefully, and make sure you understand what someone means before jumping to conclusions or passing along information.
Have you ever misunderstood something because you didn't hear the whole story?
More Mini Mini Stories
Harry's Silly Hat • Millie's Many Buttons • Pip's Just-Because Gift • King Talking Pea • Bernice the Long-Way Bee • Frodo's Best Jump Ever • Marbles' Lost & Found • Octavio's Eight Important Things • RayPete the Mockingbird Gets Serious • Rupert Gets Brave • Lazy Susan the Ant • Finnegan's Tiny Light Saves the Day • The Day Charlie Cricket Stopped Chirping • Freya's Blue Dragonfly • A Flower for Nectarine • The Snail Who Went Too Fast • Willobee Spider's Missing Thread • Clover's Meadow Song • Bartholomew Bat Needs Glasses • Chippy's Big Mix-Up
