"Stripes, you awake yet, it's morning?" a voice said.

"Yeah mom, I'm awake, just getting up." a young sounding voice replied.

It's owner, a female raccoon kit was sitting up despite having bed fur, putting on her favourite shirt, as she had been living with Meg, her human motner since she had foubd her as a baby in the Evergreen Forest, so had named her Stripes, living in a house near the Evergreen Forest, since her mom was a forest ranger, plus Stripes didn't go to human school, since Meg taught her things, that she needed to know.

"Let me guess, you're going to work, right?" Stripes said, seeing Meg nod.

"Yes sweetie, how do you think I pay for the house, and stuff?" she replied, knowing Stripes got lonely, plus adman had suggested letting her go into the forest, which she was alright with, because she had been teaching her about the forest, especially about being safe since she was a very smart kit.

"Alright Mom, haveca good day, you know?" Stripes said waiting until Meg left, so she could go exploring the forest, hoping to maybe find a friend to hang out with, have adventures with packing supplies just in case like her mom taught her.

"Wait until mom hears what I did today, when she comes home." she said leaving the house, but venturing into the forest which was very beauitful, exciting Stripes, but making herva little anxious until hearing laughter made her ears prick up.

"Hey a little help here?" a voice said, making her curious looking up, seeing a male raccoon in a red sweater with yellow cuffed sleeves with a yellow rim, and a big yellow B on it.

"Sure, but how did you get in the tree, in the first place?" Stripes asked curious noticing a hang glider.

"I was hang gliding, but the breeze took me this way, I'm Bert, who're you, as I've never seen you in the forest before?" he said after she helped him down.

"My name is Stripes, I live with my mom who's a forest ranger, she's at work right now, so I wanted to explore." the female raccoon kit told him.

"I did hear Schafer talking about you, but we can be friends if you want." Bert told her seeing her nod.

"Wait until Ralph and Melissa meet you, along with Cedric!" Bert said as they were walking through the forest until they came to a tree like house making Stripes wonder, if this was his house.

"I live here with Ralph and Melissa, but you hungry?" Bert asked, as she saw him get peanut butter and jelly making her curious, because her mom did not let her have a lot of sugar because it made her hyper, like climbing around the kitchen like on the curtains.

"You've never had PB and J before, Stripes?" Bert asked surprised.

"Nope, because I get hyper like climbing all over the kitchen, my mom does not let me have sugar." Stripes told him, as he was making a sandwich.

"Mmmm, this is good." Stripes told him seeing Schafer.

She knew the sheepdog belonged to Ranger Dan, who worked with her mom and he saw Stripes everyday, just not here in the forest hearing her ask, if her mom was alright.

"She's with Ranger Dan checking on the animals for Winter, because they're going into hibernation soon." Schafer replied to her, relieved her because she cared about her mom, which Schafer knew about that Meg was Stripes's adoptive mother.

"I guess here you don't celebrate Christmas, eh?" Stripes said telling them.

"Well we play ice hockey and ice skate at Winter." Bert told her making her excited because she wanted to try playing ice hockey, making Bert grin, knowing that he and his friends could help her plus they could have adventures which Stripes was liking the soubd of.

"Run with us, and you can have a lot of fun, Stripes." Bert said making her grin.

"I'd like that, you know?" Stripes replied to him.

She was enjoying the day, because she sometimes had wanted to adventure in the forest, knowing her mom used to get worried, when she tried when she was littler, but now she had some forest smarts, it was alright especially now she had a friend to hang out with.


Later that early evening, when Meg got home, she found a tired Stripes on the couch, wondering what had she gotten up to while she was gone at work, unawsre her little kit had went into thevEvergreen Forest, making friends of her own species especially one who was just as special as her, making tea because she was curious to hear, seeing Stripes stir, stretching.

"Hey, I had a pretty big day, like exploring the forest, plus I made friends of my own species but nothing happened that was too crazy, how was work?" Stripes said to her, making the female forest ranger chuckle at her little kit, guessing she had sugar making the female kit grin, because Bert had made herva PB and J sandwich earlier.

"An new friend let me try peanut butter, but I'm alright." Stripes said hanging out with her.

Later that night, Stripes was getting into bed, as she was tired after her adventure in thevEvergreen Forest plus lying on her side falling asleep as Meg tucked her in kissing her furry head, letting her be happy that she had made a friend, to hang out with because she worried about her, while she was at work so this coukd beva good thing that was happening.