Once upon a time, there was a little girl named Lila who loved to explore the world. She always carried a backpack with her, where she kept a map, a compass, a flashlight, and a magnifying glass. She liked to go on adventures and discover new things.

One day, she decided to visit the forest near her house. She put on her backpack and walked into the woods. She followed a trail that led her to a big, old tree. She noticed that there was a hole at the bottom of the tree. She wondered what was inside.

She took out her flashlight and shone it into the hole. She saw a pair of bright eyes staring back at her. She gasped and jumped back. She heard a voice coming from the hole.

"Who are you?" the voice asked.

"I'm Lila," she said. "Who are you?"

"I'm Milo," the voice said. "I'm a mouse."

"A mouse?" Lila said. "You live in this tree?"

"Yes, I do," Milo said. "It's very cozy and warm. Do you want to see?"

Lila was curious. She nodded and said, "Yes, please."

"OK, then," Milo said. "But you have to be careful. The hole is very small. You have to crawl in."

Lila agreed. She put her backpack down and crawled into the hole. She followed Milo's voice until she reached a chamber inside the tree. She saw that it was filled with all kinds of things: books, toys, clothes, pictures, and more.

"Wow," Lila said. "This is amazing. How did you get all this stuff?"

"I collected them from the forest and from the people's houses," Milo said. "I like to explore too, you know. I find all kinds of interesting things."

Lila smiled. She felt a connection with Milo. She looked around and saw a book that caught her eye. It was a fairy tale book with colorful illustrations.

"Can I see this book?" she asked.

"Sure," Milo said. "It's one of my favorites. It has stories about princesses, dragons, witches, and more."

Lila opened the book and started to read. She was fascinated by the stories. She read them aloud to Milo, who listened attentively. They spent hours reading and talking. They laughed and cried and learned from each other.

T

hey became good friends.

The end.