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In Miss Gabby's classroom, Larry the squirrel frowns with crossed arms at Kenny the hedgehog, who looks confused while holding a blue pencil at his desk.
Larry the squirrel sat at his desk in Miss Gabby's classroom. He reached for his special blue pencil, but it was gone! Larry looked around and saw Kenny the hedgehog using a blue pencil just like his. "Kenny took my pencil!" Larry thought angrily. He crossed his arms and frowned at his friend. Kenny noticed Larry's upset face and felt confused. "What's wrong, Larry?" Kenny asked. But Larry turned away without answering. Miss Gabby the bear watched from her teacher's desk, wondering what had happened between the two friends.
On the school playground by the swings, Larry the squirrel walks away from Kenny the hedgehog, whose smile fades as he stands alone.
At recess, Larry played alone by the swings. Kenny tried to join him. "Want to play tag?" Kenny asked cheerfully. Larry shook his head and walked away. Kenny's smile faded. He felt sad and didn't understand why his friend was angry. During lunch, Larry sat far from Kenny. Kenny's sandwich didn't taste good anymore. He missed his best friend. Miss Gabby noticed both students looking unhappy. She decided to help them work things out. "Something seems wrong," she said gently to herself.
At Miss Gabby's desk, Kenny the hedgehog shows his blue pencil with his name on it while Larry the squirrel, holding his own pencil, blushes with embarrassment.
After lunch, Miss Gabby called both friends to her desk. "Larry, you seem upset. Can you tell me what's bothering you?" she asked kindly. Larry pointed at Kenny's pencil. "He took my special blue pencil!" Kenny's eyes grew wide. "This is MY pencil, Larry! My mom gave it to me yesterday." He showed Larry his name written on it. Larry checked his backpack again. There was his pencil, tucked in the wrong pocket! Larry's face turned red. "Oh no," he whispered. "I was wrong."
In the classroom, Larry the squirrel and Kenny the hedgehog share a warm hug as Miss Gabby the bear smiles proudly nearby.
"I'm really sorry, Kenny," Larry said, looking at his feet. "I should have asked you first instead of being mean." Kenny smiled and patted Larry's paw. "It's okay! I forgive you. Friends make mistakes sometimes." Miss Gabby nodded proudly. "You both learned something important today. Always talk about problems instead of assuming things." Larry and Kenny hugged. At recess, they played tag together, laughing and having fun. Their friendship was stronger than before. Larry promised to always communicate better, and Kenny was happy to have his best friend back.