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In Alex’s softly lit workshop at dusk, Alex chisels a wooden dog on the cluttered workbench. Kira stands beside him clapping as moonlight creeps through the small window.
Alex carved a wooden dog while Kira watched, clapping softly. 'Your hands are magic,' she whispered. 'We make each and every animal with love,' Alex smiled. Night tiptoed closer. 'Tonight, we peek,' Kira giggled.
Outside the workshop window in moonlit backyard, Alex and Kira crouch in shadow. They watch the newly carved wooden dog stretch while painted owl and scarfed bear sit animated on the workroom floor.
When the sun went down, they crouched outside the window of the workshop. 'Did you see that?' Kira gasped. 'Shh, watch,' Alex whispered. The wooden dog stretched. The owl blinked his brightly colored eyes, and the bear wiggled its bottom back and forth.
From the dark garden, Alex and Kira peek through the glowing workshop window. Inside, the wooden dog chases owl and bear amid swirling sawdust that falls like snow beside a tin can drum.
The animals began playing a gentle game of tag. 'They're playing!' Kira whispered. 'Our friends are alive,' Alex chuckled. Sawdust became snow as the animals skated around the workroom. The bear tapped a tin can like a drum and the animals danced to the rhythm.
Under flickering lanterns in the workshop, Alex and Kira press against the glass. Blue paint pools across the floor where the wooden dog stands frozen beside the overturned jar.
Whoops, one of the dogs bumped into a paint jar. Blue paint splashed across the floor. 'Oh no,' Alex gasped. 'We can help tomorrow,' Kira said. 'Friends work together and clean up messes together,' she added, squeezing his hand.
At the open workshop window beneath starlight, the wooden owl perches on the sill facing Alex and Kira outside. Kira grins while Alex gently rests his hands on the frame.
The owl fluttered to the sill and stared kindly. 'Hello, watchers,' it hooted softly. Kira grinned. 'We like your games,' she said. 'Please be gentle and careful with my tools, I need them to create more animal friends,' Alex added.
Inside the lamplight workshop, the bear lifts a paint-spattered brush, freckles dotting its red scarf. Alex’s hand taps the windowpane as Kira whispers, and the wooden dog gives a tiny wagging bark.
Trying to tidy, the bear lifted a paint brush. He accidentally spattered paint that landed on Kira's face, and the paint specks looked like freckles. Alex giggled softly. 'Oops!' Kira whispered. Alex tapped the window by accident. The animals froze when they heard the sound.
Warm lantern light fills the workshop as Alex holds the door open and steps in. Kira follows with a small towel, and together they kneel wiping spilled paint while wooden animals mimic their careful strokes.
Alex slowly opened the door. 'Don't be frightened, don't freeze up, we can help,' he said softly. Kira fetched a little towel. Together they wiped, dabbed, and swept. The animals copied them, learning to work together to get the job done and the workshop cleaned up.
At the big workshop table beneath a hanging bulb, Kira draws a colorful rule chart, tongue poking out. Alex leans beside her sketching a broom while the wooden owl perches nearby approvingly.
Kira drew a rule chart with big pictures. 'Friends listen,' she said, drawing ears. 'Friends fix,' Alex added, sketching a broom. 'Friends share,' the owl hooted. Everyone nodded, even the bashful bear.
In the workshop’s cleared corner under midnight lamps, Alex hammers a curved sawdust track. Kira knots a soft rope swing from ceiling beams while wooden animals watch amid scattered tools and paint pots.
All night they built a safe play corner. Alex shaped a sawdust track. Kira tied a soft rope swing. 'A perch, please,' the owl asked. 'And a ball,' the dog woofed.
On the new play corner floor, Kira jumps with raised arms as the wooden dog speeds along the track. Nearby, Alex stands under warm light giving a bright thumbs-up while the owl glides from its perch.
They tested everything with careful paws and hands. The dog zoomed along the track. The owl perched proudly and glided down. 'Hooray!' Kira cheered. 'Safe and fun,' Alex said, giving thumbs up.
Near the tool bench in late-night workshop glow, a wooden ball rolls toward stacked tools. The wooden dog halts it bravely while the bear braces the toolbox, and Kira gasps as Alex claps in relief.
Suddenly the ball rolled toward the tools. 'Uh-oh!' Kira cried. The dog blocked it bravely, tail wagging. The bear steadied the toolbox. 'Teamwork works!' Alex laughed, clapping with relief.
Inside the quiet workshop bathed in pink dawn light, Kira hugs Alex amid still wooden animals resting on shelves. Soft sawdust sparkles across the freshly swept floor.
The morning sun colored the window pink. The animals returned to stillness, all of them smiling inside the wood. Kira hugged Alex and said to him, "'Pals, we learned to work together, help each other and we made a wonderful space for the animals to play when we are sleeping. 'That's true friendship,' Alex said to his friend. And every evening when Alex closes up his workshop, he and Kira know that there is going to be a safe and fun time had by the animals!