THE WRITER SQUIRREL

Once upon a time there was a very curious squirrel who lived in an old tree, in a peaceful forest. He was called Pietro, in honor of his grandfather, who was called Pedro.

One day, while exploring his tree, Pietro found an old book, wrapped in golden leaves.

Pietro was surprised when he read the title: Diary of Squirrel Pedro. It was a diary written by his grandfather!

He opened the book, excited to discover his grandfather's adventures in the same forest where he lived.

Pietro read about his grandfather's life as a child. His grandfather liked to jump rope, play dodgeball and fly kites. Grandfather's drawings reminded him of stories he had already heard: an astronaut camel, a teddy bear riding a bicycle and a sheep washing dishes.

Grandpa had also written about the beginning of his relationship with Grandma Squirrel. And he even pasted a photo in his diary, of Grandma Squirrel dressed as a bride!

“What a cool diary”, thought Pietro.

As the hours passed, Pietro couldn't put the book down. It was as if his grandfather was next to him telling those stories.

On the last page, he found a challenge left by his grandfather:

"Now that you've read my diary, how about writing too? That way, in the future your grandchildren will know stories about you. Do you accept the challenge?"

Pietro closed the book, thoughtful. He imagined that a distant relative might know him through the stories.

"Grandpa Pedro, I accepted the challenge" - he said softly.

That night, before going to bed, Pietro took a notebook, opened it to the first page and wrote:

"I'm the squirrel Pietro. I'm seven years old and I'm starting this diary because I accepted a challenge made by my grandfather."

As I was writing, I discovered something interesting: the more I told stories about my life, the easier I could write. He tells about his grandfather's diary, about his discoveries in the forest and about his first day at school. He wrote about his favorite game, about his fear of sleeping in the dark, and about his dream of one day flying in an airplane.

When he reached halfway through the notebook, Pietro read his adventures to his friends. They liked it so much, they decided to write it too.

The years passed, and several forest animals wrote their diaries. One day we had a big party. They told stories and ate lots of nuts. The animals realized that writing reminded them to be grateful and were happier.

Pietro grew up and married a long-awaited squirrel. When they had puppies, they stayed together in Grandpa Pedro's diary.

One day, his daughter entered school and learned to read. Pietro arrived in the room and found himself writing. It was her first diary.

Pietro notes that by writing a diary our family members can get to know each other even many, many years from now, and we can live forever among those we love.