Sunrise on Thistle Hill
1Every summer morning, four animal friends meet at the top of Thistle Hill to watch the sun come up. The path to the top is long and steep.
2Shelly the snail always leaves first. She creeps up the path, inch by inch, while the sky is dark. Next comes Bram the bear cub. He strolls along, humming a song and sniffing the flowers.
3Then Mira the mouse scurries up the path with quick little steps. Last of all comes Rory the rabbit, who woke up late. He dashes up the hill as fast as he can and leaps over a fallen branch.
4At the top, Rory flops down on the grass. He is not just tired. He is exhausted! Bram's tummy growls. He is starving, so he gobbles a big pile of berries. Mira is only a little hungry, so she nibbles one seed.
5Then the friends grow quiet. The sun peeks over the trees, and the sky turns pink and gold. Shelly gazes at it for a long, long time. "It was worth the trip," she whispers.