Read the passage. Then respond to the TDW prompt.

The Best Place in the Forest

Chapter 1

Once, in a faraway forest, a little pine tree grew. He had sprouted near the foot of an old oak tree. Old Oak cast a giant shadow over Little Pine. Again and again, Little Pine reached his branches toward the sun. He tried stretching to the right and bending to the left. Still, Old Oak’s shadow covered him like a blanket.

“Take it easy,” laughed Old Oak. “In time, you will grow tall enough to feel the sun’s rays. For now, be patient and enjoy the spring morning. When the cool winds whisper through your needles, sing a song.”

“Humph,” grumbled Little Pine. Instead of singing, he shivered and sighed about the cold.

Before long, the sky filled with clouds, thunder rumbled, and spring showers fell. Little Pine tried to sip the rainy puddles on the grassy ground with his roots. However, some thirsty bushes crowded him and drank the water.

“Save some for me,” complained Little Pine.

“Too much water is not good for you,” the bushes told Little Pine.

Little Pine did not agree with them. He wished that he could drink a whole lake.

Finally, as the sun sank in the sky, Little Pine went to sleep. He dreamed about living in a special place in the forest where no other plants crowded him. “I would have everything I wanted,” he imagined.

Chapter 2

The next morning, two woodcutters entered the forest with their strong horses. The woodcutters wore long jackets, thick hats, and rugged boots. Little Pine watched as the strangers circled Old Oak.

“This tree is straight and tall,” said one woodcutter.

“Its fine wood will help the shipbuilder,” said the other woodcutter.

The men began to clear away the bushes to chop down Old Oak. Little Pine watched with concern, but Old Oak was excited.

“Do not worry about me, Little Pine,” Old Oak told him. “I look forward to my new adventures on the sea.”

When the woodcutters finished their work, they dragged Old Oak from the forest with their horses. Suddenly, Little Pine discovered that his wish had come true. There were no longer any plants surrounding him. Little Pine reached his branches toward the sun. He had never felt so happy. However, as the afternoon passed, Little Pine began to grow hotter and hotter. One by one, his branches wilted and sagged. Without Old Oak, there was no shade to cool him. When the sun set, Little Pine sighed with relief. Yet a new problem soon appeared. A storm began, and the pouring rain formed puddles around Little Pine. He could not drink all the water, so the ground grew soggy and wet. Eventually, Little Pine’s roots could not grip the soil, and the rainwater washed him away.

Chapter 3

All night long, the rainwater tossed Little Pine around like a toy boat. He floated over stones and tumbled down a hill. At last, Little Pine managed to grab onto a patch of soil near the foot of a towering elm tree. Thankfully, Little Pine sank his roots deep into the dirt.

“Good morning, new neighbor,” welcomed Elm. “I see you’ve found a spot to grow. I hope you enjoy our forest.”

Slowly, Little Pine raised his branches, shook the raindrops from them, and gazed around him. There were some nearby shrubs, and Elm cast a cool shadow over him. This time, Little Pine did not complain.

“I’m happy for your company,” Little Pine told Elm and the shrubs. “Together, we can grow strong and healthy.”

From that day on, whenever the cool winds whistled through Little Pine’s needles, he sang a song just like Old Oak had suggested.

Happily, he praised his new home. A home with helpful friends was truly the best place in the forest.