The small one whom we shall call by his forest name, Seeker, had always been different. While others of his family were content to follow the known paths, to hunt the familiar prawns and sleep in the familiar shelters, Seeker's eyes were always drawn to the horizon, to the mysteries that lay beyond the next ridge.
One day, while his family foraged in their usual territory, Seeker wandered farther than he had ever gone before. The scent of something cooking—rich and complex beyond anything in the forest's natural larder—drew him like invisible vines pulling at his curiosity. He crept through the tall grass, his small heart beating quick as a bird's wing, until he came to the clearing where the Tall One's dwelling stood.
And there, beside a strange mechanical beast that the Tall One had been using, Seeker saw something that caught the orange sunlight and threw it back in a thousand tiny fires—a tool, harder and sharper than any stone, with an edge that could split the toughest shell. It was a wonder beyond wonders, lying there in the grass as if the forest itself had left it as a gift.
The seeker watched the dwelling for a long time. The Tall One had gone inside, but he might return at any moment. The small one's training, the wisdom of countless generations, told him to flee. But something stronger than training, stronger even than fear, sang in his blood. This was more than a tool—this was a bridge to understanding, a key to a mystery that had called to him since he first saw the Tall One's lights glowing in the darkness.
He approached the bathing-place of the Tall One, where water flowed in ways that no stream ever had. There was an opening there, small enough for one of his kind to slip through. And with the boldness that would define his entire life, Seeker entered the Wonderful Place.
Oh, but it was wonderful! The dwelling was cool when the day was hot, warm when the night grew chill. The floor was smooth and level, perfect for running and playing. There were high places to climb and soft places to rest. And everywhere, everywhere, were strange and fascinating objects that begged to be examined, touched, understood.
Seeker explored every corner with the systematic thoroughness that his people brought to examining a new territory. He found the place where the Tall One slept, with its soft coverings that could be burrowed under. He found the place where food was prepared, though he was careful not to disturb anything—not yet. He found small objects that made pleasant sounds when shaken, and flat surfaces that showed his own reflection like a still pool of water.
But it was when the Tall One returned and discovered him that the true magic began.
The Tall One made sounds—not the high, quick speech of the small folk, but deep, slow rumbles. Yet there was no anger in them, no threat. Instead, there was something Seeker had never expected to find in one so different—there was gentleness. The Tall One moved slowly, speaking in soft tones, and when he offered food, it was the most wonderful thing Seeker had ever tasted, a golden substance that filled the belly and delighted the tongue beyond anything the forest had ever provided.
The Tall One made a sound repeatedly: "Fuzzy." It seemed to be what he called the small folk. And another sound: "Pappy Jack," which Seeker slowly understood was the Tall One's name for himself. That night, curled in the soft nest that Pappy Jack prepared for him, Seeker understood that his life had changed forever. He had found not just a dwelling place, but something the forest had never been able to provide—a companion who could share in the joy of discovery, who could offer protection and comfort, who could be family in a way that transcended the bounds of kind.
But a small one's heart, however brave, knows loneliness. And so Seeker set forth on a great quest—to bring his family to this Wonderful Place, to share with them the magic he had found.