Neshika snapped at a passing bug. Chomp! Instead of a bug, he caught a crunchy, bright red leaf. He spat it out onto the dirt with a soft sound.
Suddenly, golden and orange shapes rained down from the tall canopy. He stared up in wide wonder. He chased the falling colors, swatting at them as they drifted to the moss.
He scooped up large piles of crisp, yellow leaves in his thick paws. He held the bundle as tightly as he could against his chest. Neshika waddled eagerly toward his dark, rocky cave.
A sharp autumn gust of wind blasted past. Whoosh! His hard-earned pile scattered violently across the sharp pine needles. Neshika let out a low growl and scurried after a giant purple leaf.
He worked hard to gather them all over again. He piled red, yellow, and purple leaves into a towering, wobbly mountain directly outside his den.
Neshika took a fast, running leap. He belly-flopped right into the center of the massive leaf pile with a huge CRUNCH! Deep inside the dry mountain, he peeked his glowing eyes outward.
The autumn air quickly grew biting and cold. Long, dark shadows stretched relentlessly across the dirt path. A harsh breeze furiously chilled the very tips of his fur.
He rushed rapidly to drag his crushed leaf mountain directly into his dark cavern. Panting heavily from the immense effort, he dropped the very last armful. The incredibly hard stone floor magically transformed into a thick quilt of autumn colors.
Neshika completely curled his warm body into a remarkably tight ball squarely in the middle of his bed. Gently closing his calm eyelids, he naturally nudged a single crisp yellow leaf. He let out a long, heavy sigh.
The massive stone den fell perfectly dark and completely quiet. He fell deeply asleep. He was completely ready for the long winter resting sleep.
