Crunch the squirrel raced up the Juicy Fig Tree, his fluffy tail flying behind him.

The Juicy Fig Tree bore very special figs, and was cared for by a little girl called Sherry. Sherry took care of all of the plants and trees in her garden. Every day she watered them, loved them and pruned them. Crunch had heard many of the plants and trees whisper that they loved Sherry as much as she loved them.

Especially the Juicy Fig Tree. All of Sherry’s love and care made sweet purple figs grow abundantly, like little purple clots of happiness.

Sherry was the queen of her backyard, but also its devoted servant. Every day she pulled on her coveralls and gumboots, and watered, fed, weeded and talked to the plants and her animals that lived in her lush green garden.

Sherry’s garden was a happy place. The bees buzzed busily, making delicious honey from Lavender and Honeysuckle.

Crunch and his brothers watched the front door eagerly, waiting for her to emerge. The Juicy Fig Tree and every herb, tree and vegetable waited for Sherry’s warm and happy voice to greet them every day!

Now although Sherry loved and nurtured every plant in her garden, she took particular care of her Juicy Fig Tree. She knew that everyone loved her figs. She was particularly proud of the figs that grew high up on the tree, so that she could make sweet fig jam and fig desserts.

Dexter the puppy was her helper. Every morning, he bounded towards the Juicy Fig Tree, to scare away the squirrels and birds.

“Make sure you don’t let anyone get to the figs on the tree, Dexter!” Sherry said sternly, as she crouched to pull out weeds.

Dexter barked excitedly as he ran.

Crunch peeked out from behind the Delicious Guava Tree on the opposite side.

“Hey Dexter, what’s the scoop today?” he chattered.

“Woooof !” Dexter pretended to chase bugs so Sherry wouldn’t that know he was talking to Crunch. “Stay away from the figs on the tree. Take the ones on the ground and run. I can’t act like I’m chasing you for much longer!”

Dexter and Crunch had perfected the “escape dance.” Crunch moved in time with Dexter, so Sherry never saw Crunch reach the Juicy Fig Tree.

“I’ll get you some figs!” Crunch said, as he snuck up to the tree.

But Dexter was already chasing a swarm of bees with Crunch’s brothers.

Sherry watched Dexter and the squirrels pounce and leap together, chattering and barking joyfully. Then she went indoors and didn’t return for a while.

The Delicious Guava Tree and Shady Lemon Tree whispered to each other, “Do you think she went to make herself some tea?”

“What?!” asked the Rosemary Bush shocked, “She always makes sure we have compost tea first!”

And then, Crunch did something quite naughty.

He decided that this was the best time to scamper up the tree and eat some figs right off the branches. Even though Dexter had warned him against it! Even though he knew it wasn’t allowed!

But Crunch dreamt of them!

He scampered toward the top, his tiny legs moving fast. He was climbing so fast that he accidentally knocked down a ripe fig! He turned to see where it had landed…

When suddenly…

His eyes met Sherry’s shocked gaze instead. She held up that ripe fig.

“I can’t believe you’d do something so naughty!”

Her surprise made Crunch feel bad. She was such a nice girl; he didn’t want her to be upset. It made all the plants unhappy when she was unhappy. He hadn’t thought it through. He had been so excited about the thought of eating a fig right off the branch.

He remembered Dexter’s warning too late!

“You’re eating my figs,” Sherry continued, as Crunch sat still. “What about all my plans and hard work? Why didn’t Dexter stop you?”

Crunch sat crouched and ashamed, tail quivering as his nose twitched.

“Isn’t there enough to share?” he chattered.

But Sherry did not speak squirrel.

“How do I know what you’re saying?” she said, and plopped down on the grass staring at Crunch.

She turned and looked at her garden. She saw Crunch’s brothers romping through the branches of the lemon tree, even as Dexter sprawled idly on the grass. Birds flitted around them, sounding out neighborhood news. She watched them all for a while.

Then she saw the dragonflies hovering, and the busy bees emerging from petals, buzzing past all the plants, bringing pollen into a corner of the roof, only to reappear and disappear again into flowers.

Sherry suddenly saw her backyard with new eyes. Her backyard was a home to so many creatures!

She didn’t want Dexter to keep them all away. She didn’t even want to use all the figs. She just wanted the upper branch figs.

She remained sitting on the grass, thinking about what to do.

As Sherry thought, Crunch scampered down from the Juicy Fig Tree and ran to hide behind the Delicious Guava Tree. He watched Sherry from there, taking bites of a seedy guava.

“Well,” she said, “I guess that’s that!”

They all watched in surprise as Sherry went to the Herb patch, weeding and pruning corners.

The next evening when she entered the backyard, the animals and birds stopped,

What would she do?

Sherry came holding two new trees in pots. “Welcome to the family,” she said to them. “I hope you lovely Fig Babies grow as much as the Juicy Fig Tree over there. Come, settle down beside her.”

“Now we will have more figs for everyone!” she said, straightening up. The creatures were overjoyed!

Next, she went to Crunch and gave him a ripe fig that she picked from an upper branch of the Juicy Fig Tree.

“I will cover the high-up figs with nets, but you will get one every time I pick a batch.”

Crunch chattered happily, “That’s a great idea!”

Sherry exclaimed “I think you agree!” when she heard his little voice, even if she couldn’t understand exactly what he said.

She left more figs from the lower branches and the ground in a nice red bucket in the middle of the yard, for everyone to enjoy.

Now she could watch the animals in action as she sat at the kitchen table doing her homework!

“Dexter! Guava!” she said, tossing a guava in the air. Dexter leapt to catch it. No figs for him, but a guava? Now that hit a spot!

The plants and animals of Sherry’s backyard hummed happily, as Sherry went back to gardening with a smile! It felt like Spring had come to everyone.

The End