One day she was out playing in the meadow near her burrow when she spotted an enchantingly coloured butterfly floating on the air. The buttercups and bluebells were rustling in the breeze. It was the most glorios of days. She began to chase the butterfly playfully.
Unaware to her she had wandered off the path and into an area unknown to her. Eventually the little butterfly fluttered away leaving Lyla in a panic. She didn't know where she was or in what direction she had come. "I'm lost!" she cried thinking how cross her mother would be. She had warned her that morning not to wander too far as it was hunting season for the humans.
She looked around helplessly for some clue to point her in the right direction. A tear trickled down her cheek as she finally decided it was no use. She was afraid to move in case it brought her further into the woods. She curled into a ball and eventually cried herself to sleep.
When she finally awoke she heard voices not too far off, the sound of giggling and fun being had. She followed the chuckles hopeful that whoever it was would be able to point her in the direction of home.
".......seventy-eight, seventy-nine, eighty! Ready or not here I come!!" the little white rabbit shouted cheerfully. He had been peeking when everyone was hiding so knew where they all were. "Excuse me....." interrupted Lyla. The little white rabbit froze in fear. "Fox!!!!!" he bellowed in warning to his friends as he bolted off, his friends not too far behind. "Wait! Please wait......" she begged but it was no use, they were gone.
Little did Lyla know, she was being watched the whole time by the wise old squirrel, high up in the trees. She lay againt the trunk of a tree and began to sob heavily. When the wise old squirrel was satisfied that Lyla wasn't a threat she made her way to the lower branches just above Lyla's head. "Why are you crying child?" she asked ever so kindly. Lyla was a little alarmed she had not seen her sitting there. "I'm lost and no one will help me" she eventually responded.
"You can hardly blame them child, around here foxes are seen as a great danger to us smaller creatures, they only come around this neck of the woods to hunt." "But I didn't mean to scare them, honestly I didn't" she cried through heavy sobs, "I just want to go home!"
"And go home you shall" smiled the wise old squirrel comfortingly as she dried Lyla's eyes in her apron.
"Sam! Sam!" she shouted up into the branches of the tree. A young squirrel scampered down to them "will you be a dear and escort this poor creature home".
Sam took one glance at Lyla and instantly had pity on her. "Sure thing grandma" he smiled then turned his attention to Lyla "So you're the fox that has been terrorising this neck of the woods all day. You don't look so tough and scary" he hung from a branch above her head giving her the once over. When he was sure she wasn't a danger he jumped down in fron of her and patted her foreleg sympathetically. "Don't worry we'll get you home.....". "Lyla" she finished.
"Stay safe you two. Its dangerous around here at this time of the year. We wouldn't want either of you wandering into any hunting traps" the wise old squirrel waved after them until they were out of sight.
As they made their way through the woods Sam swung from branch to branch high overhead to navigate their route. After a while Sam's little legs became tired so Lyla offered to carry him the rest of the way on her back. She told him about all her brothers and sisters back home and how much she missed them.
"Lyla!! Lyla!!" came the calls of Lyla's upset mother in the distance. "Mother!" her eyes lit up and she began to pick up speed. Sam held on tightly for dear life.
Eventually, they came to a clearing ahead and there she was, Lyla's mother. She had been searching high and low for hours. "What have I told you about wandering off?!" she asked angrily. Anger soon turning to relief to have her baby standing safe and well before her eyes. "Where have you been? I've been worried sick" she laid her head upon Lyla's as Lyla nestled into her thick warm fur.
"I'm sorry Mama, I got lost. Sam here helped me find my way home". Lyla's mother eyed up Sam. "A squirrel helping a fox aye? what an alliance...." she chuckled at how odd they must have looked wandering the woods together. "I am truly grateful you got my baby home safe Sam, why don't you stay for some dinner".
After dinner Lyla and Sam said their goodbyes. Lyla was exhausted after her big adventure and quickly fell asleep nestled into her mother. Her mother smiled as she watched her sleep thankful that she had her home.
THE END
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