Today, Elise is full of excitement. She’s finally going to the forest! A week ago, her grandma gave her a little glass vial, and for days now, she’s been dreaming of the perfect treasure to fill it with. She’s imagined all sorts of possibilities.

But now it’s time to jump out of bed and get ready. Usagi, her little stuffed bunny—a gift from her pen pal Yuichi in Japan—is still snoozing.
“Come on, Usagi, we’re going to the forest!”

Elise grabs her wonderfully soft knitted dress, pulls on her favorite tulle skirt underneath (sometimes she wears it on its own — it’s perfect for twirling), and is about to put on her shoes when she notices the crisp wind outside.

Oh! Better go with something weatherproof. She puts on her warm knit sweater, her favorite overalls with the cool frog design, and of course, her treasure-hunter bag. That’s where all the special finds go. Just to be safe, she also packs her hat with the cat ears. A true treasure hunter needs to be well equipped!

Now they’re finally off.

It rained earlier, and Elise is once again glad she has her leather shoes. She had wished for them so, so, so much—and when they appeared under the Christmas tree, she could hardly believe her eyes. The forest is beautiful. Everything smells of damp leaves, but Elise barely notices. Her eyes are fixed on the forest floor. That’s where the magical treasures lie—the ones she’s dreamed of so many times. Of course, it’s not always easy to tell a true treasure from an almost-treasure. But Elise trusts her instincts. When she finds something truly special, she feels a glittery excitement in her chest.

Today, it takes a little longer. And to be honest, the raindrops sparkling on the leaves and stones are a bit distracting. But then—something shimmers more brightly than anything else. Elise runs toward it. Finally! That glittery, excited feeling spreads through her chest. A tiny pile of sparkling sand lies there. It must have crumbled from a geode, part of which still juts out of the earth. Elise takes just enough to leave some behind for other treasure hunters.

What a day. Back at home, Elise adds her new find to her collection. There’s the dried flower she picked one hot summer afternoon by the edge of a field. Its scent takes her right back to that quiet, warm moment. Then there’s the pheasant feather from Grandma’s garden. Pheasants are so beautiful—even if Elise always giggles when they take off with such a ruckus. The smooth stone from her last trip to the sea shimmered just right in the light, and Elise spotted it right away among all the others. And then there’s the little curly-thing, her mysterious find. No one knows quite what it is, but she discovered it in a different forest—not the one from today, but during her last vacation. Every forest is different, after all! And now, the vial with the geode dust joins the collection. Magical!

Because the day was so exciting, Elise pulls out her notebook. She wants to write down a few memories. But… maybe she’ll wait. It’s much more fun to do that with Mama.

And as she thinks about that, she gets so sleepy that she hops into bed, snuggles up with Usagi, and drifts off to sleep.