The Little Fox Who Knocked Over the Blocks

Deep in the forest stood a great big oak tree.

On the oak tree was a little round door—that was Chestnut's Pharmacy.

The sun was warm and cozy today.

Chestnut had a little cloth, and he wiped his jars, wipe, wipe, wipe, until every one was shiny and bright.

Pad, pad, pad.

A little fox walked in, slowly, ever so slowly.

His ears drooped down, and his little paws pressed against his chest.

One step, then a stop. One step, then a stop.

The little fox's name was Rusty.

"Chestnut... I did something bad."

"Roly built a block castle, so tall, so very tall."

"I ran past, and BOOM—I knocked it over."

"It gave me such a fright that I... I ran away."

"But the more I ran, the funnier my heart felt."

"Heavy, so heavy. Like I was carrying a little stone."

"When you do something, and afterward your heart keeps saying: I wish I hadn't done that," Chestnut said softly:

"And you wish you could go back and do it all over again."

"Your heart feels heavy and stuffy inside—that is called regret."

"Yes..." Rusty said in a very small voice. "I regret it so much. I wish I hadn't run away."

Chestnut pushed up his round glasses.

"Hmm... let me think..."

He turned around and looked at the jars on the shelf.

"Aha! This jar right here!"

Chestnut climbed up his little ladder, reaching way up high for a red jar.

"I'll hold it for you!" Rusty held the ladder with both little paws.

The ladder gave a little wobble.

Rusty got such a fright that he let go and covered his eyes.

The ladder wibbled and wobbled, wibbled and wobbled—

"Whoa-oh-oh-oh!"

CRASH!

Down the ladder Chestnut slipped, landing right on his bottom.

Red candies rolled everywhere.

"I-I'm fine. A pharmacist must stay calm."

Rusty's shoulders scrunched up, and then he quickly crouched down to help pick up the candies.

"I'm sorry, Chestnut. I let go."

"That's all right," Chestnut said with a smile. "See? You know how to say sorry."

Rusty said in a very small voice, "But... saying it to Roly is so hard."

Chestnut took one candy from the jar and placed it gently in Rusty's little paw.

"This is the Red I'm-Sorry Candy."

"Once you eat it, you'll think of a good way."

"A way to put down that little stone in your heart."

Rusty looked at the candy. It was round and red, like a tiny little strawberry.

Rusty put the candy in his mouth.

It was sweet. It was just a tiny bit sour.

He sat on the little chair, thinking and thinking, thinking and thinking...

Rusty thought about Roly's face.

Blocks all over the ground, and Roly's eyes all wet with tears.

The little stone in his heart felt even heavier.

I wish... I hadn't run away.

Huh? Wait a minute...

Rusty had an idea.

"If the blocks fall down, we can build them up again!"

"I can say sorry first, and then build with Roly!"

"We'll build a castle even taller than before!"

"When there's something we can do together, saying sorry isn't so hard!"

Rusty hopped down off the little chair.

"I'm going back to find Roly!"

Rusty ran all the way to Roly's house.

Roly was sitting all alone next to the blocks, hugging his knees.

Rusty took a great big breath.

"Roly, I'm sorry."

"It was me. I knocked over the blocks. And I ran away, and I regret it so much."

"Can we... build it again together?"

Roly wiped his eyes.

"You came back. That's all that matters. Building all by myself is no fun."

Roly handed Rusty a block.

One block, two blocks, three blocks...

The castle grew taller and taller—even taller than before!

Rusty patted his chest.

Huh? The little stone in his heart was gone!

Rusty took Roly by the paw, and they ran back to the pharmacy together, his ears standing up tall, tall, tall.

"Chestnut! Your candy is magic! I thought of a good way!"

"Did you now?" Chestnut asked with a smile.

"Who do you think thought of it—the candy, or you?"

Rusty tilted his head and thought for a moment.

"It was... me! I thought of it myself!"

"That's right," said Chestnut.

"Next time you feel regret, remember to go back and say: 'I'm sorry. It was me.'"

"Once you say it out loud, the little stone gets lighter."

"But Chestnut, you fell off the ladder just now. Does your bottom hurt?"

"I-I'm fine. A pharmacist must stay calm."

But Chestnut's cheeks turned pink.

The sun went slowly down, and the sky turned a warm, cozy orange.

Rusty and Roly walked out of the pharmacy paw in paw, and headed home together.

Chestnut watched them go, and pushed his crooked glasses back up.

Then he turned around and put the red jar back on the shelf.

Who will come knocking tomorrow, I wonder?