Supper had been ready for nearly an hour, and still the boys weren’t home.
You might think that their mothers were growing anxious. It wasn’t like young boys to be late for a meal, after all.
But worry is unknown in the hearts of the forest creatures. They know that all things happen by design at exactly the right time, and that each of us is perfectly and forever safe in the loving embrace of the Great Yes.
Nevertheless, the mothers were curious. They decided to ask Grandfather where the children were.
Grandfather was the forest’s elder spruce. He stood on a slope at the far end of the pond. From there, he could gaze across the entire expanse of the forest, and he watched its entire goings on with great love and care. He awakened the forest beings at the first sliver of dawn, and whispered good night wishes as the last hint of day faded from the western skies.
The moment that the mothers thought to ask him what had become of their children, he heard their requests in his heart. And they heard his laughter in return. “They’re nearly at your doorsteps,” he told them in his telepathic way, “and they’re famished and full of stories. If I were you, I’d turn down their beds. They have had quite a day.”
The mothers thanked Grandfather. And no sooner had they followed his suggestion and prepared the boys’ beds, than the boys were bursting through their doors.
“Mother! Mother!” Red Leaf shouted, filled with excitement. “I’m sorry that I’m late. But wait until I tell you about my day!”
Mother Oak reminded her son to wash his hands, then she poured him a bowl of soup and sat down to hear all his adventures.
At the far end of the pond, Grandfather smiled and watched the moon rise. The he began to sing his night time songs to all who dwelt within the circle of his loving care. And peace descended on the forest, and all its creatures were content.