Lily the squirrel had the biggest, brightest sunflower in the whole forest. Its face followed the sun all day, and its seeds were plump and delicious. Lily loved her sunflower. She spent hours guarding it from birds and other squirrels, making sure every single seed was safe and sound.
One sunny morning, Barnaby Bear ambled by. He sniffed the air and smiled. "My, that's a magnificent sunflower, Lily!" he exclaimed. "The seeds must be scrumptious."
Lily puffed out her chest. "They are! The best in the forest!" she declared, clutching a handful of seeds tightly.
Barnaby's tummy rumbled. "I'd love to try just one," he said shyly.
Lily hesitated. Sharing her precious seeds felt like giving away a piece of sunshine. "I don't know…" she mumbled.
Just then, Rosie Rabbit hopped over. "That sunflower is taller than me!" she giggled. "Could I have a few seeds, Lily? I'm so hungry!"
Lily looked at Barnaby’s kind face and then at Rosie’s pleading eyes. She thought about how happy the sunflower made her, and wondered if sharing that happiness might be even better.
Taking a deep breath, Lily offered Barnaby and Rosie a handful of seeds each. "Here you go," she said, trying to hide her nervousness.
Barnaby and Rosie's faces lit up. They munched on the seeds, their eyes sparkling with delight. "Thank you, Lily! These are the tastiest seeds ever!" Barnaby said with a grin.
Rosie nodded in agreement. "You're right! So yummy!" she chirped.
Seeing their joy, a warm feeling spread through Lily's chest. It was a different kind of happiness, a happiness that came from making others happy. She offered them more seeds, and they all sat beneath the sunflower, chatting and laughing.
Soon, Freddie Fox and Penelope Porcupine joined them. Lily happily shared her seeds with them too. The more she shared, the happier she felt. The sunflower seemed to glow even brighter as if sharing its sunshine with everyone.
As the sun began to set, Lily's friends thanked her for her generosity. "You're the best seed-sharer in the whole forest, Lily!" Freddie declared.
Lily smiled. Her heart felt full. She realized that sharing her sunflower seeds hadn't made her have less, it had actually made her have more – more friends, more laughter, and more happiness.
From that day on, Lily's sunflower became the gathering spot for all the forest creatures. They knew that beneath its bright face, they would always find delicious seeds and a friend willing to share.