The cutest autumn harvest ever

*The Acorn Keepers* The little mice scurry through leaves of gold, and this was their busiest morning yet. Bramble, the eldest brother in the green coat and red scarf, had been up since sunrise. "Three acorns at a time, that's the rule," he huffed to himself, hugging his armload so tight he waddled. His sister Pippa, in her rust colored dress and flowered apron, was more particular. "Gathering treasures as the days grow cold is not about speed," she said, plucking each berry only if it was perfectly round and red. Plip. Plip. Into her little wicker basket they went. "It's about choosing the sweetest ones." Little Pip, the youngest in the blue coat, knelt beside his own basket, trying very hard to be helpful. He had two big acorns, but one kept rolling out. He'd put it in, it would tumble, he'd put it in again. "I got it! I got it!" Their home was the little round door under the berry bramble, where the moss made a soft green roof and the window glowed yellow all day. By noon, their baskets were full. With acorns and berries tucked away tight, they pushed open the round door. Inside, the walls were lined with shelves. Pippa poured her berries into jars. Bramble rolled his acorns into the pantry corner, counting: one, two, three... and Pip added his two with a very proud thump. Outside, the wind picked up and rattled the oak leaves. Inside, they lit a twig sized fire in the hearth, pulled their three tiny chairs close, and shared a warm berry crumble Pippa had made from yesterday's harvest. They'll feast by the fire on a chilly fall night, cozy, safe, and together just as they do every autumn.