Leo the fox finds strange footprints in the Whispering Forest, and with Susie the owl he follows them toward a secret hiding place.
Deep in the Whispering Forest, a little fox named Leo loved the bright clearing at its heart. He chased butterflies there, leaped over the soft moss, and rolled in the sun until his whiskers tickled.
Leo’s best friend was Susie the owl. She knew the names of the trees, the songs of the birds, and a hundred sleepy stories for rainy nights.
One morning, Leo skidded to a stop on the path. Fresh paw prints cut through the dew. They were big. Too big for any rabbit. Too round for a deer. And they led straight toward the clearing.
Leo dashed to Susie’s hollow. “Susie! Come quickly. Someone has been here!”
Susie fluttered down beside him and peered at the ground. Her eyes grew wide. “I’ve never seen prints like these,” she whispered.
The two friends followed the trail past trembling ferns and over a narrow stream. The prints went on and on, deeper into the forest, growing darker and deeper in the soft earth.
Soon they reached a place where the trees leaned close together and the air felt still. The prints stopped beside a huge mossy stone.
Then came a tiny crunch.
Leo froze.
From behind the stone, something shiny slid into the light....