Stuart Squirrel and the Barkphone

High up in a tall tree, deep in the woods, there lived a little squirrel whose name was Stuart. He was the littlest in the family. He had lots of older brothers and sisters, who all happily scampered off to other trees in the afternoons to play with their friends.

Meanwhile, his mum and dad spent all day collecting supplies ready for winter. Stuart was allowed to go with them after school, but he usually wasn't interested and preferred to stay home alone. The trouble was, he found that really boring too.

“Mummyyyy, will you play with me now?” he would whinge every time his parents popped into the hollow with a fresh load of nuts. “Daddyyyy, what can I do now?”

This went on and on, until one day Daddy Squirrel couldn’t stand Stuart’s constant whining any longer. He brought home a surprise.

“Here, Stuart, this is for you. It’s a new Barkphone.”

“A Barkphone?” Stuart beamed. “That’s awesome!”

The Barkphone was the best invention the woods had known in recent years. Through this magical piece of bark, the animals could send messages to each other. They could even send pictures of nuts or berries they’d found. During the winter, when the whole woodland was covered in snow and the animals stayed in their cosy burrows, the Barkphone meant they could keep in touch with their friends and relations so that they didn’t feel lonely! And if ever someone found themselves in a tight spot, they could call for help through the Barkphone. It was such a great device!

At least, that’s what everyone said.

One autumn day, Stuart was sitting alone at home in his tree hollow when he heard a scratching sound. That meant a new message had arrived on…