Momma knows best

Excited that her mother had agreed to show and teach them about plants, her eyes lit up. This was gonna be so much fun. Her eagerness to learn was unmistakable. Tail wagging happily at her heels, Malila followed after Speedy, opting to close her eyes briefly while she basked in the day’s warmth. Before she could bump head first into her mom's haunch, she snapped her eyes open again. After all, she didn't want to miss a thing on this educational field day!

When they stopped at last, the sight of the tree before them made her eyes go wide with awe. Up she gazed at the sprawling branches, the gently fluttering curtains of leaves. Gingerly, she reared up to try and paw at them, so tantalizingly out of reach. Speedy referred to it as a Willow tree, and she mentioned the bark was especially useful. Paying close attention, Malila crept forward to sniff at the bark, testing its texture. "How do you get it? It won't harm the tree, will it?" She asked, unaware that many trees were hardy and shed their bark in layers.