The Friend Nobody Notices.

It was a sunny afternoon, and all the friends were playing near the big oak tree. Today they were building a fort! Jefferson was carrying sticks and Dog was dragging over an old blanket. Norman was carefully stacking little logs and Lizzie was gathering leaves to make the inside soft and cozy. Mrs. Cookie sat under the tree, watching everyone work. And Wee 1? Wee 1 was trying to help everybody at the same time!

“Wee 1!” Jefferson called. “We need more sticks!”

“I’m coming!” Wee 1 shouted.

He picked up a stick and hurried toward the fort. But then he stopped…. Someone was sitting all alone near the edge of the yard. It was a little rabbit, Wee 1 had never seen her before. She sat quietly under a bush with her long ears hanging down. Every once in a while, she looked over at the fort, she quickly looked back at the ground.

“Wee 1!” Jefferson called again.

Wee 1 looked at his friends.Then he looked at the little rabbit. Maybe she wants to play, he thought. Wee 1 put down his stick and walked over.

“Hi!” he said. The little rabbit looked up.

“Hi,” she said softly.

“I’m Wee 1. What’s your name?”

“Rosie.”

“Hi, Rosie!”

Wee 1 pointed toward the big oak tree.

“We’re building a fort. Do you want to help?”

Rosie looked at everyone.Then she looked down at her paws.

“I don’t know anybody,” she said.

Wee 1 thought for a moment. Then he smiled.

“You know me!”

Rosie looked up. A tiny smile appeared on her face.

“Okay.”

“Come on!”

Wee 1 and Rosie walked back together.

“Everybody!” Wee 1 called. “This is Rosie!”

“Hi, Rosie!” said Lizzie.

“Hello!” Norman called.

Dog popped his head out from underneath the blanket.

“Hi!”

Rosie giggled. Jefferson looked at the fort.

“We have a problem,” he said.

One side of the blanket kept falling down. Every time Jefferson put it up… FLUMP! Down it came. He tried again. FLUMP! Everyone laughed.

“Maybe Rosie has an idea,” Wee 1 said.

Rosie looked at the fort. Then she noticed two long sticks on the ground.

“What if we use those?”

Rosie and Wee 1 pushed the sticks into the dirt. Norman tied the blanket to them. Jefferson stepped back. Everyone waited.The blanket stayed up!

“It worked!” Jefferson shouted.

Soon, everyone was inside the fort. It was a little crowded, also a little crooked and Dog’s tail kept knocking things over but nobody cared. Rosie was laughing with everyone else.

Later, Wee 1 crawled out of the fort and sat beside Mrs. Cookie.

She smiled at him. “That was very kind of you.”

Wee 1 looked confused.

“What was?”

“You noticed Rosie sitting by herself.”

Wee 1 shrugged.

“I only asked her to play.”

Mrs. Cookie nodded.

“Sometimes that’s all someone needs.”

Wee 1 looked toward the fort. Rosie’s little head popped out.

“Wee 1! Come back! Dog knocked the wall down!”

“I DID NOT!” Dog shouted from inside.

Rosie started laughing. Wee 1 laughed too. A little while ago, Rosie had been sitting all alone. Now she was right in the middle of everything. All because someone noticed her. And all because of three little words:

“Want to play?”

Something to Think About

Have you ever wanted to play but felt too shy to ask?

How would you feel if someone invited you?

Sumpthin’ You Can Do

The next time you see someone playing alone, you can try saying:

“Do you want to play with us?”

You might just make a new friend.

Little choices build big hearts.

What Sumpthin’ will you do today?