Chapter Three - A Christmas Wish

"I wish.....I wish....." thought Chippy, as he looked up, gazing at the tall tree beside his home. Chimmy, his brother, was so much better at climbing trees than he was. "If only I was as brave as my brother."
Chimmy still had not come back home. Chippy was debating about climbing up into the tree and surveying the area to see if he could spot Chimmy anywhere in the distance, but he was afraid of heights.
"I have to try to find him," he said aloud. "I have to be brave and climb up that tree. I just have to."
"It is now or never," he decided, looking at the lowest branch. "Even if I only get up to that branch, I might be able to see him," he concluded. He was determined to try.
With that thought in mind, he started on his first solo tree climbing adventure.
And he did succeed......well, almost. Chippy scurried up the tree trunk as quickly as he could but he was much too frightened to go out on the tree limb. In fact, he was so afraid that he closed his eyes and clung tightly to the tree trunk.
Suddenly, he heard a sound, like someone crying. He opened his eyes but could not see anyone. He heard it again; it was closer this time.
"Who is that? Maybe it is Chimmy?" he wondered.
But he was still too frightened to call out Chimmy's name.
"Mewwy Chwistmas, Mewwy Chwistmas, Mewwy Chwistmas," he heard someone say, between sniffles. It was not Chimmy's voice.
"Mewwy Chwistmas, Mewwy Chwistmas," he heard again, but this time he saw where the voice was coming from. A very sad and unhappy fluffy white rabbit was hopping along, coming toward the tree.
"I wish, I wish, I wish...." said the rabbit, "That I could say my r's right." He wiped the tears from his eyes. "Maybe if I keep on trying.......maybe by Chwistmas."
"Mewwy Chwistmas, Mewwy Chwistmas," he said, as he hopped away.
Suddenly Chippy knew just what to do. He scurried out on the branch and called out. "Rabbit!"
The little rabbit stopped and looked around but he did not see anyone.
"I am up here," Chippy said excitedly, almost losing his balance. "Wait! Stay right there, I am coming down." He scurried across the branch, back to the tree trunk and down the tree. For a moment, he forgot how frightened of heights he actually was.
"Hello," said the rabbit, totally surprized to see the chipmunk. "My name is Webbit Wabbit!" he said sadly. "You can call me Webb. I just wish that I could say my r's correctly. Chwistmas will soon be hewe. I am twying to learn to say them fow Chwistmas."
Chippy forgot about his missing brother for a moment.
"I will help you!" Chippy said immediately.
Little did he know how much Webb would help him too.