Jasper the squirrel had a peculiar habit: collecting lost buttons. Not acorns, not shiny trinkets, but buttons of all shapes and sizes. He l...

Asked Gemini for a short story.

Jasper the squirrel had a peculiar habit: collecting lost buttons. Not acorns, not shiny trinkets, but buttons of all shapes and sizes. He lined his tree hollow with mother-of-pearl, wood, and plastic, creating a dazzling mosaic. One blustery autumn day, a little girl named Lily wandered through the woods, her favorite coat missing a bright blue button. Tears welled in her eyes. Jasper, perched on a branch above, noticed her distress and the empty loop on her coat. He scurried down, a perfect blue button held gently in his teeth, and dropped it at her feet. Lily's face lit up, a smile as bright as Jasper's button collection.