Stories to follow · Chapter 2
The Bench with No Name
An unfamiliar leaf leads Coco and Mimi to a bench piled with fallen leaves. A small request helps them see that a bright, tidy seat is not comfortable for everyone.
Original fiction · Ages 7–10 · Read together with a guardian
Scene 01
A Mystery on a Dish
It was the morning after they had lit the gate lamp again. Coco set the little dish on the table. It held the leaf moved from the latch the night before. The washed cloth was drying on the rail.
“Two round tips. And the veins spread out here.” Coco laid familiar fallen leaves beside it, one by one. Mimi tilted their head. “It looks like a tiny pair of trousers. Leaf trousers!”
They giggled. But none of the other leaves quite matched. Coco left the dish where it was and drew the shape on a small piece of paper.
Scene 02
Another Side of a Familiar Path
They took the side path where they often pulled the flower cart. It ran around the outside of the garden fence and was open to everyone. Today, they noticed fallen leaves instead of flowers.
Coco stopped. “Two round tips!” A leaf lying beside the path looked like the drawing.
“Did our visitor leave a sign asking us to come?” Mimi wondered. Coco thought for a moment. “We don't know yet. Let's just look at the leaves along the path today.” They stayed out of the bushes.
Scene 03
The Bench in a Leaf Hat
An old wooden bench stood at the bend. Fallen leaves covered its back and seat. A low canopy of living leaves shaded one end.
“This bench is wearing far too many hats!” Coco lifted one leaf from the backrest, and three more slid down. Mimi laughed. “More hats under the hat!”
Beside it stood a wooden board so weathered that no name could be read. Coco checked the bench's legs and planks, then pressed gently. Nothing wobbled or was broken.
Scene 04
A Name First?
“Shall we give it a new name? The Bench Found by Coco and Mimi!” Coco took out a pencil, then paused. “Too long. The name is bigger than the board.”
Mimi laughed and started to sit, then saw the wet leaves and stood up again. Coco put the pencil away. “A place to sit comes first. I'll fetch a basket.”
Mimi looked at the leaves hanging above. “If we move those aside too, it will be lovely and bright.” The thought of a neat bench in the sunshine felt satisfying. Then a voice came from beyond the leaves.
Scene 05
The First Request
“Please leave the leaves on the shady side.” It was the small voice they had heard by the gate. Mimi lowered an outstretched hand. Coco set the basket down on the path.
“Do you like having shade?” Mimi asked. “Yes. It's too bright when the sun shines straight in my eyes.” They could not see the speaker, but the request was clear.
Mimi felt a little awkward about thinking only of a bright bench. “I thought brighter would be better for everyone. I'll leave the top leaves alone. May we clear the wet ones off the seat?” After a pause came the answer: “That's fine.”
Scene 06
One Place to Begin
Coco opened the basket, and Mimi unfolded a dry cloth. They would leave the living canopy alone. A small patch of sunlight rested at one end of the bench.
“Which place shall we clear first? This end, or the shady end?” Coco asked. “I'd like the shady end.” Mimi held the basket while Coco gathered the wet leaves from that place. They wiped only the uncovered plank and cleared enough room in front to reach it.
Coco started counting the leaves in the basket, then laughed. “One, two… how many hats can a bench need?” Mimi pointed to the clear space. “Today, let's count one seat instead!” The leaves above the bench still swayed.
Scene 07
An Answer About the Folded Cloth
While the wiped seat dried, they stepped aside toward the path. As Mimi folded the cloth, the voice came again. “That cloth beside the gate. I used it on the rainy day.”
Coco listened. “I folded it when I was finished. Drying the wet bits helped me feel less cold.” Coco wanted to ask about the leaf on the latch too, but first listened to the whole answer.
“That cloth is drying now,” Coco said. Mimi shook out today's cloth. “And this one helped us clean the bench.” “Now there's a place to sit here too,” came the voice beyond the leaves. Coco checked the dry space once more.
Scene 08
A Place Without a Name
The shady end of the bench was dry. Mimi collected the cloth, and Coco moved the basket aside. The seat and the way to it were clear. Neither friend stood guarding the space.
There was still no readable name on the board. “I suppose the bench doesn't need to know its own name,” Coco said softly. Mimi smiled. “It already knows how to be sat on.”
As they headed back, they saw more leaves with rounded, divided tips beyond the bend. How far around the garden did this side path go? Coco carefully folded the drawing. For today, there was a new place to rest.
At the end of the story