A First Time for Everything

For your convenience, there are two versions of the story below. The black text tells the complete story. The larger red text condenses the story down to a 15 sentences. You can read the version that suits your time constraints. Of course, if you're REALLY in a hurry you can read the 7 labels and try to assemble them into a meaningful story.

This story begins on a silent summer evening, a very long time ago. The clouds were barely visible but beautifully being back-lit by the last few rays of the red receding sun. A mysterious realm governed by misty moss and entwining vines adorned the trees and taller bushes within the boreal forest. In the grass, some small green insects started to greet the night while others retired for the evening. Soon, a lynx and a mink came together to enjoy conversation and tell droll tales of their past adventures.

As the sun sets, a lynx and a mink get together and reminisce.


Firstly, the lynx wove a winsome tale that involved a tall garden fence and a cantankerous old farmer. The lynx began by explaining his prowess at jumping fences, and the farmer’s tall fence was no exception. He jumped over the aforementioned fence and did so often and at his leisure, much to the dismay of the farmer. Other than jump over the fence, the lynx didn’t do anything impertinent; in fact, he was quite amiable. He was known for carrying himself with confidence while maintaining a polite demeanor.

The lynx can jump fences and does.

Next, it was the mink’s turn to discuss and begin a discourse on his latest exploits. The mink was slinky and dark in color. Known for some slight slithers and perky patter, the mink was also known throughout the forest as a fine furry friend to the lynx. As the evening continued to darken, it contrasted the mink’s intriguing story. The mink had, in the recent past, come across a strawberry pie cooling on an open windowsill at the same farmhouse with the tall vertical fence. Of course at the time, the mink was not aware that the private premises had been previously visited by the lynx.

The mink visits the same farm as the lynx and there was a pie there.

It was dark when the mink arrived at the farmhouse’s window, so the mink’s diminished vision did not allow for a clear view of the pie. However, by using his keen olfactory senses, the mink knew the pie sat on a window ledge and that is was freshly made.

The mink can’t see but smells a pie.

The pie was still emitting the steamy sweet smell of the baked berries that had come from the farmer’s furrowed fields. The mink considered taking a taste of the pie but was not confident that it would be wise to do so without help. It would be unfortunate to be discovered, and the mink felt vulnerable attempting to sample the pie baker’s wares all by himself. The mink decided that a look-out would be convenient. So, after letting the smell linger for a moment, the mink slinked away through the underbrush in search of some other satisfying treat.

The mink is afraid to chance a nibble.

The lynx was taken aback by the mink’s tale and began to tell the mink about a similar discovery that he made the last time he jumped up and over the farmer’s formidable fence. At that time, the lynx had also gotten a whiff of a strawberry pie but he had not been able to discern its location. Both the lynx and the mink decided that it must have been on the same windowsill on which the mink had recently detected the delectable dessert.

The lynx had a similar experience but couldn’t find the pie.

Being desirous of a delicious delicacy, they decided to venture out together to the farm. When they arrived, the lynx easily negotiated the tall fence with a single bounding leap. The mink was not quite as nimble and could not traverse the fence as the lynx had done. But the mink could dig under the fence and so he was able to join the lynx on the other side and not miss out on the rewards of their venture.

They each get past the obstacle in their own way.

Slowly and carefully, listening for any sign of the farmer or the baker of pies, they arrived at the window and were fortuitous enough to discover a pie cooling on the generous windowsill. The lynx jumped up onto the windowsill and intended to slide the pie off the windowsill down to the mink so they could both partake in a special strawberry feast.

They work together in an attempt to get the pie off the windowsill.

But suddenly, the baker came running to the window shouting and displaying great displeasure with the lynx’s presence and possible plan of partaking of pie. Just as the lynx jumped to the ground, the baker threw a big bowl of buttermilk at the would-be freeloaders to scare them off.

The baker shoos them off and throws buttermilk at them.

The baker quickly snatched the pie and closed the window tight. Both the lynx and the mink then came out from under the brown bristling bush in which they’d taken refuge. Curious about the buttermilk (as neither had ever come across buttermilk before), they took a timid taste and were delighted to find the buttermilk to be quite tasty.

The lynx and mink taste the buttermilk and they like it.

After taking their fill of this new delicacy, they returned to their usual stomping grounds to enjoy reliving the experience through candid conversation. Both agreed that the adventure had been a success. Although they had failed to secure a berry pie, they had discovered a new subtle source of sustenance in a slightly silly manner.

They didn’t accomplish their goal but tried something new.

Content with the experience and ease of their escapades, they both became anxious to visit their inquisitive friendly feathered friend, the noble and knowledgeable deep forest owl.

They tell their story to an owl.

The owl was brown and black and was cleverly camouflaged while sitting still in the soft moon shade. Being very aged, the owl had accumulated a vast library of lovely legends. The owl was always receptive to new narration and delighted in the details describing any drama. The lynx and mink relayed their rumpus and near run-in with the baker while the owl perched in a prickly pine and listened intently.

The owl was hungry for fresh entertaining stories.

When the story was all-told, the owl let out a hearty hoot and hurried home. There, he re-told the story to the entire parliament of owls so as to keep the story safe and sound, stored in the imagination of all the owls of the forest.

The owl leaves to tell the other owls this new tale.

Lastly, as the first rays of the morning sun began to bring shadows to the eastern sky, the lynx and mink bid each other adieu and agreed to assemble again that very evening. During the day, when the nocturnal animals sleep, a lynx and a mink had dreams of strawberry pie and buttermilk. What might they encounter on the morrow?

The lynx and mink decide to have another adventure that night after the sun goes down.