Friendship
Once upon a time, a bright and inquisitive little |2 named |1 lived in 
|6, |7.  |1 spent most afternoons during |4 summer vacation playing |10 
with |4 best friend, |5.  They also like to just sit and watch the rabbits, 
squirrels, and chipmunks that played all day long in their backyards.||
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But this summer, like every summer, had to end, and soon, |1 was back at
|8.  This wasn't so bad though, since |1 enjoyed school and especially liked
|4 teacher |9.||
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|9 knew everything and |1, being a bright and inquisitive |2, was always 
asking questions.  One day |9 was teaching the class about all the animals.  
|1 was entranced by the stories of elephants, lions and bears.||
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"|9," said |1, "I see rabbits and squirrels and chipmunks in my yard most 
of the year, but where do they go in winter?  I know they don't fly south 
like the birds."||
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"They're just like people, |1," said |9.  "They spend most of the time in 
the winter inside their homes in the hollow trees and burrows in the
ground."||
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"Thank-you, |9," said |1.  "I'll watch for them this winter and write a
report for class."||
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"That would be great.  I look forward to reading your report," said a 
proud |9.||
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From that day on both |1 and |5 watched the rabbits, squirrels and chipmunks 
in |1's backyard, writing down how many animals they saw and what they were 
doing (playing mostly).  |1 noticed, however, that while the five little 
squirrels spent most of their time playing tag and king of the hill, their 
mother was always picking up acorns and running back into the woods.||
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One day |1 asked |9, "Why is the mother squirrel gathering all the acorns 
in my yard?"  |9 explained that the mother squirrel was gathering the acorns 
so that she and her children could eat them during the winter, when it was 
too cold for her to gather food.||
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"Boy, I'm lucky that my mother does that too!  Our refrigerator is always 
full, and we have lots of |11.||
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A couple of days later, |1 came home from school looking forward to watching 
the squirrels for a little while.  |1 ran out the back door after putting 
on |4 |12 jacket, and found the mother squirrel under the big oak tree with 
her five children crying and running in circles around her.||
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"Please help me, little |2," said the mother squirrel.  "I fell out of the 
tree and hurt my leg."||
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|1 almost panicked, but then said, "I'll help you.  My name is |1, and I 
want to be your friend.  What can I do?"||
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"Thank-you, |1.  I am Sally Squirrel," said Sally (the squirrel, of course).  
"Can you wrap up my leg so that it gets better soon?  And please feed my 
babies.  They like acorns."||
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|1 wasn't sure what to do about getting bandages to wrap Sally's leg so |3 
tore several strips off |4 |13 t-shirt and tied them about Sally's leg.  
"That should keep your leg safe," said |1, as |3 gathered up a few acorns 
and fed the little squirrels.||
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"Oh, thank-you, |1.  You're a good friend," gushed Sally Squirrel.  "Can 
you help me back into my house in the old oak tree?"||
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|1 carefully picked Sally Squirrel up and put her inside the hollow in the 
old oak tree.  "There you go, Sally.  You'll be safe here until your leg 
gets better," said |1.||
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Sally quickly looked around and screamed "Oh no!  The pesky badger has stolen 
all my winter acorns!  With my bad leg I won't be able to gather any more 
acorns for my children and me to eat this winter!  We'll starve!"||
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|1 proudly told Sally, "I'll gather up enough acorns for you for this winter," 
and then spent the next half hour bringing acorns to Sally Squirrel's home.  
|1 and |5 spent their afternoons for the next two weeks gathering acorns for 
Sally Squirrel, filling her home.||
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Then it snowed!  And snowed!  And snowed some more!  |1 didn't see Sally or 
her children for 52 days despite looking every day....||
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Then one morning, |1 woke up with sunlight filling |4 bedroom.  |1 heard 
knocking at |4 window and looked up.  There on |4 windowsill was Sally 
Squirrel and five almost grown little squirrels.  |1 was overjoyed.  Tonight 
|3 would finish |4 report and get an 'A'.||
