The Meadow Tales
Johnny Chuck Finds the Best Thing in the World
The Meadow Tales
Ages 3–5 · 6 min
Johnny Chuck goes looking for the best thing in the whole world — and finds it somewhere he never expected.
JOHNNY CHUCK FINDS THE BEST THING IN THE WORLD
Old Mother West Wind stopped to talk with the Slender Fir Tree.
JOHNNY CHUCK FINDS THE BEST THING IN THE WORLD
Old Mother West Wind stopped to talk with the Slender Fir Tree.
"I've just come across the Green Meadows," she said, "and there I saw the Best Thing in the World."
Now, Striped Chipmunk was sitting right under that tree. He heard every word.
The Best Thing in the World!
His little heart beat fast. "It must be heaps and heaps of nuts and acorns!" he whispered. "I have to find it!"
And ZIP — off he went, down the Lone Little Path through the wood, as fast as his legs could carry him.
Pretty soon he met Peter Rabbit.
"Where are you going in such a hurry, Striped Chipmunk?"
"Down to the Green Meadows — to find the Best Thing in the World!" And he ran even faster.
Peter Rabbit's ears shot straight up. "The Best Thing in the World! That must be great big piles of carrots and cabbage!"
And THUMP THUMP THUMP — off went Peter Rabbit, racing down the Lone Little Path after Striped Chipmunk.
They passed the great hollow tree, and Bobby Coon poked his head out. "Where are you two going in such a hurry?"
"Down to the Green Meadows to find the Best Thing in the World!" they shouted together, and ran faster still.
Bobby Coon licked his lips. "The Best Thing in the World? That must be a whole field of sweet, milky corn."
He scrambled down from the hollow tree — SCRITCH SCRATCH — and hurried down the Lone Little Path after Striped Chipmunk and Peter Rabbit.
At the edge of the wood they met Jimmy Skunk.
"Where are you all going in such a hurry?"
"Down to the Green Meadows to find the Best Thing in the World!" they shouted, and they all tried to run faster.
Jimmy Skunk's eyes went wide. "The Best Thing in the World! That must be packs and packs of fat, crunchy beetles!"
And for once in his life, Jimmy Skunk hurried. He scurried down the Lone Little Path after the others.
They were all running so fast now that they didn't see Reddy Fox — until he SPRANG out of the long grass right in front of them.
"Where are you going in such a hurry?"
"To find the Best Thing in the World!" shouted Striped Chipmunk and Peter Rabbit and Bobby Coon and Jimmy Skunk, and each one tried to run even faster.
Reddy Fox grinned a sly grin. "The Best Thing in the World? That must be a whole pen full of tender young chickens. And they will be mine."
Away went Reddy Fox, fast as a red streak, down the Lone Little Path after all the others.
By and by, they all came to the home of Johnny Chuck.
Johnny Chuck was sitting by his front door in the warm sunshine.
"Where are you going in such a hurry?" he asked.
"To find the Best Thing in the World!" they all shouted at once.
Johnny Chuck tipped his head to one side. He looked up at the beautiful blue sky. He looked at the flowers nodding around his door. He felt the warm sunshine on his fur.
"Hmm," said Johnny Chuck. "I don't know of anything better than my own little home and the warm sunshine and the beautiful blue sky."
So Johnny Chuck stayed right where he was.
He played all day long among the flowers with the Merry Little Breezes. He rolled in the clover. He napped in the sun. And he was as happy as happy could be.
But out on the Green Meadows, Striped Chipmunk and Peter Rabbit and Bobby Coon and Jimmy Skunk and Reddy Fox ran this way. They ran that way. They ran and ran and ran.
The sun beat down, hot and heavy. Their legs ached. Their tongues hung out. And still — they hadn't found the Best Thing in the World.
When the long day was finally over, they dragged themselves back up the Lone Little Path. Nobody hurried now. They were too tired. And they were cross — oh, SO cross.
Striped Chipmunk hadn't found a single nut.
Peter Rabbit hadn't found so much as one cabbage leaf.
Bobby Coon hadn't found the tiniest bit of sweet milky corn.
Jimmy Skunk hadn't seen a single beetle.
Reddy Fox hadn't heard so much as a peep from a chicken.
And they were all as hungry as hungry could be.
Halfway up the Lone Little Path, they met Old Mother West Wind heading home behind the hill.
"Did you find the Best Thing in the World?" she asked.
"NO!" they all shouted together.
Old Mother West Wind smiled softly. "Johnny Chuck has it," she said.
They all turned and looked back down the path.
There was Johnny Chuck, still by his little front door, watching the last bit of golden sun sink behind the Green Meadows — warm and full and perfectly, perfectly happy.
