Mosskin hurried down a ferny path with a basket swinging at one side.
Then a sudden gust flipped leaves all over the trail until every turn looked wrong.
Mosskin stopped. Drip-drip came from a hollow log. The tall trees only whispered hush. "Oh," whispered Mosskin. "This isn't the way."
Instead of turning back, Mosskin followed one odd clue after another.
First, one blue button on a stump. Then three sugar cubes on a log. Far ahead, a tiny puff of chimney smoke.
Mosskin kept going, brushing through the ferns as a woodpecker tapped tok-tok-tok above.
At last, Mosskin reached a warm old cottage at the edge of the trees and peeped in the window.
Bang! The door flew open. A grumbly keeper growled, "Who took my sugar?"
Before Mosskin could answer, a teapot inside sneezed—PFFFT! Steam sprayed the window, and Mosskin nearly dropped the basket.
"I didn't!" blurted Mosskin. "But... do you need help?"
So Mosskin stepped inside and searched under a floury table and behind crackly firewood.
At last, Mosskin looked inside one muddy boot by the door. There were the missing sugar cubes!
In the fire's orange glow, Mosskin felt steadier. Then Mosskin pointed to the blue button missing from the keeper's coat.
The keeper snorted a laugh. "Well, I'll be."
Soon the blue button was tied back on. The keeper tucked warm buns into Mosskin's basket.
Then the keeper walked with Mosskin to the edge of the trees where the ferny path opened toward home.
Now Mosskin heard birdsong instead of hush.
When the cottage window glowed behind them, Mosskin waved. The keeper lifted a hand in the golden light.
