Chapter 1: Waiting

Mr Acorn sat on his branch, where he scanned the herb-rich meadow for treats every morning. He felt safe in the shelter of the tree and stuck his head out further. Where was the girl who had been bringing the tasty peanuts for the last few days? Mr Acorn decided to wait a little longer, just as long as his hungry bird's stomach would allow.

"For the things we want to be certain about, we need evidence." The leaves rustled with every step. The silence was suddenly interrupted. Disharmony mingled with the gentle sound of the hanging leaves being swayed back and forth on the branches by the wind.

"We can only find out irrefutable facts through high-quality research. Everything else is faith," underlined the delicate hand and the man strode resolutely forward. Next to him, or rather beneath him, a small, rather rotund figure tried to keep pace. "And if you have no evidence of anything yet?" The tall, slender coat stopped abruptly.

Mr. Eichel tilted his head and stretched his neck. "Then of course it can still be true. We just don't know it yet. Or it's nonsense, that's also possible." The two dissimilar figures strode forward and disappeared into the clearing, not without leaving behind a certain swirling atmosphere.

"The masters need evidence, so they have to calculate," a fine voice cheeked. Squirrel Erwin hopped onto the branch next to Acorn, who was now bobbing up and down somewhat chaotically. Mr. Acorn fluttered and regained his balance. "Yes, I guess that's how it is," he agreed. Erwin sighed: "But feeling is enough for everything else," Eichel nodded.

Then both forest animals raised their heads. A soft tap approached. The little girl seemed to glide along almost silently on the leaves. She sat down in front of the tree trunk, breathed in and out quietly and otherwise remained completely motionless.

Mr. Acorn jumped for joy for a moment. Then he slid down gently, landed a few meters in front of the girl and hopped carefully closer, not without checking again and again with a tilted head. There it was, the peanut. Overjoyed, his beak snapped, a quick glance into the girl's eyes and up and away he flew. Erwin made the most of the moment, perked and scrambled quickly down the tree. The girl smiled, but remained silent and still. Erwin came closer and hopped over one leg. There was another nut! He too scurried off into the forest. The girl disappeared as silently as she had come.