Thistle tugged open her burrow door and stepped into the sun-dappled meadow.
She carried her wicker basket, her long white ears twitching in the breeze.
Every creature she passed stopped and stared. A fox called out, 'Pretty Thistle!'
A deer bowed as she walked past — and she kept walking.
Her basket grew heavy with flowers as she tucked chamomile stems inside.
Thistle set her basket down on a flat stone and sighed.
She watched a blue butterfly flutter just out of reach.
A little hedgehog boy waddled up and tugged her fur gently.
"How do you stay so kind?" he asked, looking up with bright eyes.
Thistle blinked, then smiled down at him.
"Kindness is just something I do every day," she told him.
The sun felt warm on her fur. For the first time, she felt truly seen.