nature animals · Ages 3-5

The Pine Cone That Opened in the Sun

A dry pine cone opens its scales in warm air, helping tiny seeds fall out and travel away.

The whole story

1. At morning’s edge, a small red squirrel carried a pine cone beneath the tree.

2. The squirrel set the cone on a warm stone, but its scales stayed closed.

3. The squirrel cupped its paws around the cone and waited for the sun.

4. Warm air touched the cone, and one brown scale lifted at last.

5. The warm air stayed, and more scales opened around the tiny seeds.

6. A tiny seed slipped free, and the squirrel held it gently.

7. The breeze lifted the seeds from the open cone and carried them away.

8. The seeds found new ground, while the open cone rested beneath the pine.

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