The Treasure Thief.
The waterfall tragedy
You sit on your haunches for a moment, peering at the waterfall. Touched by the sun, the water glows mesmerizingly, taking on colors that make your bushy tail twitch. From a young age, you've heard tales of hollows behind falls that hide wonderful, if a bit risky, rewards. And this gushing curtain screams adventure. With a chirrup, you set your squirrel-smarts to the task and hop closer with caution.
As you approach, the rumble of the waterfall grows louder. Your keen eyes scuttle over the rushing water, darting this way and that. There are stepping stones you can use, slick and wet as they are. But you're a squirrel of witty mind and nimble feet! You jump onto the closest rock, your tiny hand-like paws quickly steadying you. You can feel the water's chill grazed over the algae-blanketed stone under your tootsies. Your heart pounds at the hint of peril, but also the prospect of magic acorns. You risk another jump... and another. The magic can't be far.
Perhaps, too far still, because suddenly, your foot slips! You give a mild squeak as you lose footing on the slippery rock. You claw and scratch, but the cascade is mighty. With a gasp, you're swept up by the fearsome flow. Everything turns bluish-white as you crash and toss in the water. You wish you had magic to help you now! Tiny stones prick your underbelly, while the great rush pulls you down, down, into a dizzy spiral.
You hold your breath as your squirrel instincts kick in, pleading you to fight the current. Instincts beat the massive force of nature this time. You dash out from the depths, leaping towards the riverbank before the waterfall drags you deeper into its wild whirlpool. Wet, cold, but grateful, you clamber onto the muddy soil. Your adventure isn't over yet! Maybe it was not your day to discover the waterfall's magical secrets, but you know the forest still has a lot in store. Most importantly, you still got yourself, safe and sound. In the end, it's really the brave and smart squirrel that counts the most towards getting the acorns, and you got plenty of both!