Little Matilda the Snail crept slowly through the garden. Evening had come, and the sun sent its last golden rays through the leaves. Matilda loved this time of day, when the garden grew calm and everything turned just a little quieter.
Today she had a plan. She wanted to find her favorite leaf again, the one the wind had carried away the day before. It was big and green, with a fine pattern of veins she loved to rest on.
She crept along the pumpkin patch, curved past the daisy, and squeezed carefully beneath an old branch. “It was right here yesterday,” she murmured, a little disappointed.
By the lavender she met Gustav the Cricket, who was busy cleaning his wings. “Gustav, have you seen my beautiful leaf, by any chance? It’s big, and it smells like summer rain.”
Gustav scratched his leg. “I saw a leaf like that flying toward the root bed yesterday. Maybe it landed there.”
Matilda thanked him and crept on. The root bed lay at the edge of the garden, where the air already smelled of cool, damp earth. Among the big green leaves she spotted a few crisp carrots poking out of the soil.
“Those look delicious!” Matilda called out. She sniffed at one and took a small bite. The carrot tasted sweet and fresh.
Content, she set off again. Behind the rosemary bush she came upon Lilli the Ladybug. “Hello Matilda, you look like you’re searching for something.”
“My favorite leaf has disappeared.”
Lilli thought for a moment. “I saw a leaf caught on the big blackberry bush. Why don’t you look there?”
Matilda crept through the soft evening light toward the blackberry bush. The last berries gleamed dark purple in the fading sun. She tasted one, then two, then three… and smacked her lips quietly with delight.
“Aren’t these sweet!” she murmured, licking her antennae clean. Then she looked around for the leaf again, but still couldn’t find it.
A little further on she met Bruno, the old ground beetle. “Hello Matilda! Are you looking for something in particular?”
“My leaf, my beautiful leaf!” she replied. “It was my favorite place to rest.”
Bruno thought it over. “I believe I saw it by the cucumbers. The wind blew quite hard over there yesterday.”
Matilda thanked him and made her way to the cucumber bed. Among the big, prickly leaves, juicy green cucumbers lay hidden.
She took a small bite and chewed happily. “Crisp and cool, just how I like it,” she said, quite satisfied.
She crept on and met Clara the Moth at the garden wall. Clara always kept a good eye on everything.
“You’re looking for a leaf? Maybe it got tangled up among the lettuce heads?”
By now Matilda was quite tired. The paths were long, and she moved slowly. Carefully she made her way to the lettuce bed and marveled at what she found. The leaves were huge and fresh. “I’ve never discovered this corner before,” she thought. She took a bite and closed her eyes with pleasure.
“I could just stay right here,” she mumbled with her mouth full. But she remembered what she was looking for, and tired, she crept onward.
Behind the lettuce, half-hidden in the grass, she discovered an old clay pot. The wind grew softer, and dusk settled gently over the garden. By now it was nearly dark. A few mosquitoes hummed above her, and fireflies drifted through the warm night air.
Curious, she circled the old clay pot and paused. Peeking out from between the moss and grass was a shiny, sturdy leaf.
Carefully, she crept around the pot. “There you are!” she called out joyfully.
Matilda crept onto it — round, full, tired, and above all, content.
Did you enjoy this story?
More Fall Stories:
You’ll find more autumn stories in our collection: All Fall Stories for Kids →
Popular Topics: