Tito the Hedgehog and the Shared Apple

In a forest of golden leaves lived Tito, a little hedgehog with lots of soft spines. Tito loved to walk very slowly looking for yummy things to eat.

One autumn afternoon, Tito found the biggest apple he had ever seen in his life. It was red, shiny, and smelled as sweet as honey.

"This apple is all mine!" thought Tito, very happy.

Tito rolled the apple all the way to his home under an old log. But the apple was so big it wouldn't fit through the door.

While Tito was thinking about what to do, Coco the squirrel arrived with an empty tummy. Then Pepa the tortoise came along, walking slowly and feeling hungry. And Bruno the rabbit arrived too, hopping along curiously.

Tito looked at the enormous apple and then looked at his friends. "I can't eat something this big all by myself," he thought. "But together, we can."

Very carefully, Tito cut the apple into equal little pieces. He gave one to Coco, another to Pepa, another to Bruno, and kept one for himself.

Everyone sat in a circle under the golden leaves, chewing slowly and laughing together. The apple tasted sweeter than ever, because they were eating it with friends.

That night, Tito snuggled up happily in his log. He learned that good things, when they're shared, feel even better. And so, wrapped up in that warm idea, he closed his eyes and fell asleep.