A Thanksgiving Bedtime Story About Gratitude
It was almost Thanksgiving in Maple Hollow.
The leaves were orange. The air smelled like apples. And everyone was getting ready for the big Thankful Supper under the old oak tree.
Hickory the squirrel was bringing nuts. A whole pile of them.
Pepper the rabbit was bringing carrots. Crunchy ones.
Mrs. Quilly the hedgehog was bringing her famous blackberry pie. Everybody loved that pie.
Birch the little beaver sat by the stream and sighed.
“What are you bringing, Birch?” asked Pepper.
Birch looked at his paws. “I don’t know yet,” he said.
So Birch tried to pick berries. But he was so hungry, he ate them all on the way home. Oops.
Then Birch tried to gather nuts. But Hickory had found every single one. Oops again.
Then Birch tried to bake a pie. But beavers are not very good at pies. It came out flat, and gray, and a little bit crunchy. Oh dear.
Birch went home and flopped onto his bed of soft wood chips.
“Everybody has something to bring,” he told Mama. “Except me. I’m only good at chewing wood.”
Mama Beaver smiled and stroked his head. “Only good at chewing wood?” she said. “Birch, that is a very big only.”
Birch thought about that all night long.
The next morning, he went to the old oak tree. Everyone was there, setting out the food.
But there was a problem. A big one.
The supper table was just one small, wobbly stump. The nuts rolled off. The carrots fell over. And Mrs. Quilly’s pie was sitting on the ground, right next to a curious ant.
“Oh no,” said Mrs. Quilly. “There’s no room for everybody.”
Birch’s eyes went wide. “Wait right here,” he said. “I know what I can bring!”
He ran to the fallen branches by the stream.
Chomp, chomp, chomp. He chewed the branches into long, flat boards.
Chomp, chomp, chomp. He chewed four short, strong legs.
Pat, pat, pat. He packed it all together with mud, the way only a beaver can.
And when he was done, there it was.
The longest, smoothest, strongest table Maple Hollow had ever seen.
“Birch!” cried Pepper. “You made us a table!”
Hickory put down the nuts. They didn’t roll. Pepper stood up the carrots. They didn’t fall. Mrs. Quilly set down her pie, right in the middle, far away from the ant.
There was room for everybody. There was even a seat for Mama Beaver.
Before they ate, everyone said one thing they were thankful for.
“I’m thankful for my cozy tree,” said Hickory.
“I’m thankful for crunchy carrots,” said Pepper.
“I’m thankful for this table,” said Mrs. Quilly, and everybody cheered.
Then it was Birch’s turn. His cheeks felt warm.
“I’m thankful for my friends,” he said. “And I’m thankful that chewing wood is a very big only.”
They ate until the sun went down and the first stars came out.
Then Birch and Mama walked home by the stream, full and sleepy and happy.
That night, Birch curled up on his wood chips and whispered, “Thank you,” to nobody in particular.
And then he was fast asleep.
The end. What you are good at is a gift you can share.
Story by the TalesKids team · Ages 4-6 · About 5 minutes to read aloud
Make a Thanksgiving Gratitude Jar Together
Birch found out that his gift was something he could do, not something he could buy. A gratitude jar helps kids notice those gifts too.
- Find an empty jar and let your child decorate it with stickers or paper leaves.
- Cut small strips of paper and keep them next to the jar with a pencil.
- Each night before bed, everyone writes or draws one thing they are thankful for.
- Add one “Birch” note too: something your child is good at and can share.
- On Thanksgiving, open the jar and read all the notes out loud together.
For more simple ways to practice thankfulness with young kids, PBS KIDS for Parents has lovely ideas for families.
Looking for more stories about sharing what you have? Read The Clever Monkey and the Berry Tree, Daisy the Deer and the New Fawn, or Lulu the Ladybug’s Colorful Wings.
