The Little Kikis; A Little Kiki Tale for Young and Old

I took a walk in the Kiki Forest one summer day.

The sky was bright blue. Aimless clouds made white patches on the sky.

Tree branches arched over the trail. They reached out to each other, meeting overhead. I was sealed into a deep green tunnel.

My soft footfalls on the pine needles did not disturb the silence of the forest. Only the wind whispered through the leaves, like dry hands rubbing together for comfort.

I stopped. I stood still under the tossing branches of a tree thick with leaves.

I looked up. I stared into the green. As I stared, I began to make out many pairs of eyes.

They were eyes alight with curiosity, drinking in the wonder of me, a stranger to the Kiki Forest.

I held still and watched the shy Little Kikis slowly emerge from the leaves.
They got used to my presence.

I watched the sociable creatures huddle together in groups of four or more on their branches. They chattered happily to one another. When they got especially excited, their feathers puffed up or their wings beat rapidly in the air, lifting their slight bodies off the branch for a brief moment.

I didn’t see her, but I have heard that the beautiful and benevolent forest spirit, Nanou Kiki, watches over the Little Kikis.

When their happy chatter gets too loud, or their wings flap too wildly, she sings a quiet song to remind the Little Kikis that the wind has a voice that wants to be heard, too.

When you hike in the pine-needle covered trails of the Kiki Forest, take a moment to be still and quiet. You will hear the wind whisper through the leaves. Look up, and you will see Little Kiki eyes alive in the trees, peering down at you in wonder.

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This little story came out of a happy crafting time with my youngest son. It was inspired by Nanou’s Happy Nut creature (make one of your own here), and by working with the play clay Sonia sent us from France.

My son came up with the name “Kikis” for these little creatures, and I was intrigued by his tree with many eyes. I think I will have my son help me illustrate this story, so that we can read it together at bedtime.

(My apologies to Hayao Miyazaki for borrowing the concept of the forest spirit and the little spirits alive in the trees from Princess Mononoke, which he has based on traditional Japanese animist beliefs.)

Do you have stories that you have collaborated on with your little ones? I would love to hear about them!