Once upon a time, there was a clever little rabbit named Hoppy who lived in a cozy forest. One sunny afternoon, while hopping along the riverbank, Hoppy’s pink nose twitched excitedly. Across the flowing river, he spotted something that made his mouth water – a patch of fresh, orange carrots! The sweet scent carried by the gentle breeze made his tummy rumble.
“Oh, those carrots look so delicious!” Hoppy said, his long ears perking up. But there was a problem – the river was too wide to jump across, and Hoppy couldn’t swim. He sat on a fallen log, thinking hard about how to reach the tempting treats.
Suddenly, Hoppy’s eyes lit up as he noticed the large, flat stones scattered along the riverbank. “I have an idea!” he exclaimed cheerfully. With determination, he began pushing and rolling the stones toward the water’s edge.
“Huff and puff,” Hoppy worked hard, moving one stone after another. The stones were heavy, but he didn’t give up. Some were round, others flat, but each one was perfect for his plan. Carefully, he placed them in the river, making sure they were stable.
“One more stone,” he would say, wiping his forehead with his paw. “And then another!” The water splashed around him as he worked, creating tiny rainbows in the sunlight.
As the sun began to set, Hoppy looked at his handiwork – a line of stepping stones stretched across the river! Now came the tricky part. Taking a deep breath, he placed one paw on the first stone. It was a little wet but didn’t wobble.
“Careful now,” he reminded himself, hopping to the next stone. The water gurgled gently around him as he went from stone to stone. “One hop at a time,” he sang softly, keeping his balance. His blue neckerchief fluttered in the breeze as he made his way across.
Finally, with one last careful hop, Hoppy reached the other side! His heart was full of joy as he pulled a fresh carrot from the ground. Sitting down on the soft grass, he munched happily on his well-earned treat while watching the beautiful sunset.
“Sometimes,” Hoppy thought, crunching his carrot contentedly, “the tastiest treats are worth a little extra effort.” He looked back at his stone path with pride, knowing he had solved his problem all by himself. As the stars began to twinkle in the evening sky, Hoppy felt very proud of his clever solution and very satisfied with his delicious reward.