Giggles and Goodbye

Grumble the Gnome, his sparkly hat perched jauntily on his head, let out a sigh that sounded remarkably less grumpy than usual. It was more of a puff of relief, like a dandelion seed finally taking flight. "Well, I'll be a mushroom's uncle," he grumbled, though a tiny smile tugged at the corners of his mouth. "You two actually did it. You solved Flicker's riddle." He adjusted his hat, its sequins catching the dappled sunlight filtering through the leaves. "And you, young bear," he said, looking at Barnaby with eyes that were no longer quite so cloudy, "you've got more brains than you look. Or perhaps it’s just the nuts talking."

Squeaky, who had been bouncing on her hind legs with excitement, chattered, "Barnaby's the best, Grumble! And I helped! I gave him the *really* important clues!" She nudged Barnaby with her nose, a shower of acorn crumbs falling from her fur.

Barnaby, still a little dazed from the mental gymnastics of the riddle, managed a shy smile. "It was a good riddle," he admitted. "And Squeaky was a great helper." He looked at Grumble, a new feeling bubbling inside him, something warm and fuzzy, not unlike the feeling he got after a particularly delicious pot of honey. "I'm glad we could help you get your hat back, Mr. Grumble."