The Girl Who Spoke in Whispers In a little forest village called Fernbell, spring arrived with a great deal of noise. Woodpeckers tapped on oak trees. Bees buzzed through the buttercups. The stream hurried over shiny stones, singing splish-splash-splish all day long. And every morning, the villagers opened their windows and called cheerful hellos across the mossy paths. Everyone seemed to have a big voice. Everyone except Willa. Willa lived in a round blue cottage beneath a chestnut tree. She wore yellow boots, kept acorns in her pockets, and spoke in a whisper. “Good morning,” Willa whispered to the baker. “Lovely day,” she whispered to the rabbits. “Excuse me,” she whispered when squirrels raced across her toes. Sometimes people leaned closer. Sometimes they said, “What was that?” And sometimes they did not hear her at all. Willa often wished her words could BOOM like Mr. Badger’s. Or RING like Mrs. Robin’s. Or bounce through the village like the twins Pip and Pop, who could shout “PUDDING!” loudly enough to frighten three pigeons off a roof. Then came the morning of the Fernbell Spring Parade. Everyone hurried to the village square. Foxes tied ribbons around baskets. Mice polished tiny brass bells. Mrs. Rabbit balanced a flower crown so enormous that two butterflies landed on it. At the center of the square stood Mayor Bear. “Tonight,” he boomed, “we shall light the lantern tree!” Everyone cheered. The lantern tree grew beside the stream. Hundreds of little glass lanterns hung from its branches. When evening came, the whole tree would glow gold and pink beneath the stars. Willa loved the lantern tree more than anything. She volunteered to carry a basket of candles. As the villagers prepared, Willa walked along the stream gathering fallen petals for the parade path. Then she heard something.