Lily the squirrel had the biggest, brightest sunflower growing in her garden. It was taller than her house! Its face followed the sun all day, and its seeds were the plumpest and tastiest in the whole forest. Lily loved her sunflower, so much so that she wanted to keep all its seeds for herself.
One sunny morning, Rosie the robin flew down to Lily's garden. "Those sunflower seeds look delicious, Lily," Rosie chirped. "Could I have just one?" Lily hesitated. She really wanted to keep all the seeds for herself. But Rosie looked so hopeful, and her tummy rumbled loudly. "Okay, Rosie," Lily said, holding out a single seed. Rosie pecked it up gratefully. "Thank you, Lily! It's the best seed I've ever tasted!"
Later that day, Freddie the fox came by, his nose twitching. "Mmm, what's that wonderful smell?" he asked. Lily showed him the sunflower. Freddie's eyes grew wide. "Could I please try a few seeds, Lily?" Lily thought for a moment. It felt a little bit good to share with Rosie, and Freddie looked really hungry. "Alright, Freddie," she said, giving him a handful of seeds. Freddie munched happily. "Thank you, Lily! These seeds are amazing!"
As the day went on, more and more animals came to Lily's garden. Barnaby the bear, Penelope the porcupine, and even Sammy the snail all asked politely for some sunflower seeds. Each time, Lily felt a little nervous about giving some away, but every time she shared, a warm feeling spread through her chest. Seeing her friends enjoy the seeds made her happier than keeping them all for herself.
Soon, the sunflower was almost bare. Lily had only a small handful of seeds left. She looked at the empty sunflower head and then at her friends, all gathered around her, their bellies full and smiles bright. She realized something important. Sharing hadn't made her less happy, it had made her more happy! She had so many friends now!
Suddenly, Barnaby the bear stood up. "Lily, thank you for sharing your wonderful seeds with us!" he said. "We want to give you something in return." The other animals nodded in agreement. They all brought out their favorite things: Rosie brought a beautiful red feather, Freddie a smooth, grey stone, Penelope a prickly but soft thistle flower, and Sammy a shiny seashell he’d found on his travels.
Lily was overjoyed. She now had new treasures and new friends, all because she had shared her sunflower seeds. That night, tucked in her cozy bed, Lily ate her last few seeds. They tasted better than ever, not just because they were delicious, but because she knew that sharing them had brought her so much joy. From then on, Lily always shared what she had, knowing that sharing made the world a brighter, happier place.