In a cosy little nest, high off the ground, there lived a kind and curious squirrel named Nutmeg. She found happiness in the simplest of things and spread kindness wherever she went. One chilly Autumn morning, as she was busy collecting acorns for her Winter reserve, a colourful postcard drifted down from above and landed at her feet.

Curious, Nutmeg picked up the postcard with her tiny paws - she knew instantly that her little sister had painted it. It showed a pretty picture of a small cottage in a garden across from her family tree. There were naughty rabbits playing in the garden, nibbling on the rows of cabbages and radishes.

She flipped over the postcard and read her sister’s message with excitement. “Dear Nutmeg,” it began, “the village is having the Harvest Festival again this year. Would you and your friends like to join us? It’s a lovely celebration of the wonderful crops that have grown this year, and I’ve heard there’ll be so many fun things to see. Best of all, Mum will be cooking her famous Nut Stew! Maybe you could bring some of Bramble’s crackers? Looking forward to seeing you soon, Ginger x” 

Nutmeg knew she couldn’t miss this exciting event and couldn’t wait to
see her family! Turning to Holly, the shy robin who was perched on a nearby branch, Nutmeg called, “Holly would you like to come with me to the Harvest Festival? It’s sure to be a great celebration!” Holly was delighted to be invited and quickly said yes.

Bramble the rabbit and Rustle the hedgehog couldn't come to the Harvest Festival because they were busy getting ready for Winter. Bramble was making sure his home was snug and secure, and Rustle was making the cosiest, fluffiest nest to sleep in during Winter. Bramble happily lent Nutmeg some of his reusable crackers, which they filled with delicious fruit and nuts. He carefully placed them in a picnic basket, covering them with a tea towel, ready for Nutmeg to take to the festival.

Nutmeg and Holly set off on their journey to the village, where the humans were busy preparing for the festivities. Finding a comfortable spot on an old-fashioned lamp post, they watched as the village square transformed with colourful decorations and joyful sounds.

Nutmeg whispered in awe to Holly as they observed the vegetable competitions, "Have you ever seen such an enormous pumpkin? It's like something out of a fairy tale!" They watched as the judges looked at the pumpkin, amazed by how big it was and how hard the gardener had worked to grow it. A shiny blue ribbon labelled "1st place" was placed on top, and the farmer, a jolly man they knew from the farm near the forest, beamed with pride.

More and more people were arriving at the festival - they noticed a big bus pulling up bringing lots of people, and a row of bicycles stood proudly by the stone wall. There were barely any cars in sight which made them happy.

Realising they had been sitting and watching the bustling festival for a while, Nutmeg mentioned to Holly that her family might be wondering where they are. They dashed across the village square and down a little lane. Holly spotted the pretty little cottage from the postcard, and sure enough, there were a couple of naughty rabbits munching away in the garden!

Nutmeg’s family tree looked amazing with its vibrant orange and red leaves. Holly thought it was a beech tree but the squirrels had decorated it with so many different types of nuts and leaves she couldn’t really be sure.

Nutmeg placed the picnic basket Bramble had kindly given her on a wide branch and knocked on a little wooden door. "I can't wait for my family to try these," she smiled as she looked down at the basket. "They've heard
of Bramble's crackers, but they've never seen them before!"

Holly could hear loud chatter coming from behind the door. As the door swung open, Nutmeg's Mum, Cinnamon, greeted her daughter with a warm smile and a big hug. "Welcome home, Nutmeg!" she exclaimed, her voice filled with joy. "We've missed you so much!"

Peering into the tree, Holly saw Nutmeg's two sisters bustling about, getting ready for the festival. They looked just like Nutmeg, but each had their own special way about them. She spotted Ginger immediately, with colourful paint spots in her fur. The other must have been Clove. She had heard that Clove was a fun and lively squirrel who always made things exciting.

"Ah, we're Five Spice once again!" Pepper, Nutmeg's dad, said happily. With a big smile, he hugged Nutmeg. "It's always fun when we're all together," he laughed, looking at each of them. "Just like mixing spices in cooking, each of us adds something special!" Nutmeg felt happy, she loved being part of their special group.

Holly and Nutmeg were excited to return to the village square to see what was happening. "The vegetables were ginormous!” Nutmeg exclaimed, “and they were building a fairground as we were leaving." Holly chuckled as the squirrel’s tails all perked up in anticipation.

Together, they wandered through the Harvest Festival, which seemed even busier and more colourful than before. Everywhere they looked, there were stalls selling jams and marmalades, cheeses, and other delicious treats, all made by local businesses. "Ooh, caramelised cashew nuts!" Nutmeg’s Mum suddenly exclaimed, her eyes lighting up at the thought of the sweet treat. They also found a stall with pretty, handmade baubles.

Above the stage where a pleasant lady was singing, Holly noticed a banner that said, "Local Talent Showcase". Holly thought it was a wonderful idea. As they walked on, the lady’s beautiful voice was drowned out by the sounds of a bright, noisy merry-go-round nearby. The merry-go-round had all kinds of animals on it, including a hedgehog that looked just like Rustle, only more awake.

Suddenly, Clove felt very mischievous. Before her mum could stop her, she quickly climbed from branch to branch until she was at the top. Then, she bravely jumped onto the spinning hedgehog and joined the fun with everyone else at the festival.

As Clove jumped onto the merry-go-round, some of the nearby humans laughed. "Look at that brave squirrel!" one said, pointing at Clove with a smile. "She's so brave!" another said, impressed by Clove's courage. Holly,
watching from a safe spot, couldn't stop giggling at Clove's bold adventure on the merry-go-round – she really was a fun and lively squirrel!

Everyone at the Harvest Festival was having a great time. Some people were getting creative at the scarecrow making competition, while others were having a laugh with apple bobbing. Ginger was amazed when she saw some of the humans getting their faces painted. One little girl looked like a beautiful butterfly, her face covered with bright colours and delicate patterns. The Harvest Festival was such a lovely sight to see!

Holly, Nutmeg and her family were feeling hungry after watching the pumpkin carving and pie eating competitions, so they decided to head back to the family tree for some hearty Nut Stew. Nutmeg had talked about this comforting dish before, and it sounded perfect for a chilly Autumn day like today. The stew was made with walnuts, pecans and almonds, along with some fresh vegetables like carrots and potatoes, all simmered together with some of Cinnamon’s secret spices.

“Did you bring the crackers? Oh, I’ve heard so much about them.” Ginger asked Nutmeg eagerly as they got home.  

Nutmeg winked and reached into her picnic basket, pulling out Bramble's crackers. "Here they are," she said. Ginger's eyes sparkled with excitement as Nutmeg handed her a dark blue cracker that they had used at Omar the owl’s party a few months earlier. "Thank you, Nutmeg! They’re beautiful! I can't wait to try them," Ginger said, her tail twitching.

The squirrel family admired the reusable crackers they held before pulling them with a loud snap that made Nutmeg’s mum jump! They were delighted with the fruit and nuts hidden inside.

They all put on the paper crowns, although Holly had to pin hers in place with a colourful feather as they had forgotten to put a tiny one in for the little robin. They all laughed at the jokes that Bramble had written especially for them. Holly thought the nut stew was really tasty, just as everyone had said it would be. For dessert, they enjoyed homemade acorn cookies and hazelnut brownies.

Throughout the meal, Ginger had been sketching another lovely picture on her napkin. It showed the whole family and Holly together, with the crackers sitting on the table.

As Nutmeg and Holly were about to return to the forest, Ginger looked up from her finished sketch with a bright smile. "Hey, you two," she said
excitedly, "do you think you could give this picture to Bramble as a thank
you for lending us the crackers?" Nutmeg and Holly nodded eagerly,
agreeing that it was a wonderful way to show Bramble their appreciation. Ginger carefully folded the napkin with her drawing and placed it in Nutmeg's paw.

Nutmeg and Holly hugged them goodbye, their picnic basket of Bramble’s reusable crackers overflowing as Cinnamon insisted they take the leftover cookies and brownies back to the forest with them.