Little Guinea Pig Whistler and hamster Busybody were the best of friends. Whistler was a bit stocky, with soft brown fur and a serious expression. He loved to think and plan things ahead. Busybody was a small, fidgety hamster with sparkling eyes who couldn't sit still in one place and always had his paws full of work – or at least his cheeks full of seeds.
They lived together in a cozy burrow under the roots of an old oak tree. Summer had been wonderful, full of sunshine and games. But now the days were growing shorter and the morning dew was getting colder and colder. Autumn was coming to the forest, and with it the cold wind that whistled through the cracks in their dwelling.
"Brrr," Whistler shivered one morning as he poked his little snout out of the burrow. "Do you feel that cold, Busybody? Our little home isn't as warm as it used to be." Busybody was just then diligently pushing an enormous hazelnut into the corner of the burrow. "Indeed, indeed," he mumbled with his mouth full. "Last night I had to curl up into a ball like a little sphere so my tail wouldn't get cold." Though hamsters hardly have tails, Busybody liked to imagine that his tiny little piece needed special protection.
"We must do something about this," said Whistler decisively. "We need a new, properly heated dwelling! One where we'll be comfortable even in the worst blizzard." Busybody's eyes lit up. A new project! "Excellent! We'll build the best, warmest little house in the whole world! But what shall we make it from?"
Whistler pondered. He stroked his whiskers and looked around. The forest was full of material. "Well, I see dry leaves. There are plenty of those everywhere. And dry grass might be good too. And twigs for the frame." "Yes, yes! And moss!" added Busybody. "It's so soft! And maybe we can find pieces of bark from trees!" "Good idea," Whistler praised him. "But how do we figure out which material is best for keeping heat inside? So we won't be cold in winter?"
Busybody paused for a moment in his enthusiasm. "Hmm, that's a good question. Maybe... maybe we could build small test pieces from each material and try out which one is most comfortable?" Whistler nodded approvingly. "That's an excellent idea, Busybody! You're so clever! We'll make little testing corners. And we'll observe where more heat stays. What do you say if we put one pebble in each one, which we'll first warm up in the sun? Whichever pebble stays warm longer, that material will be a better insulator." "Brilliant! Let's do it!" exclaimed Busybody and was already hopping toward the pile of colorful leaves that the wind had blown against the stump.
So they gathered heaps of different things. Dry maple and oak leaves that rustled so beautifully. Fine, dried grass from the meadow at the forest's edge. Thin flexible willow twigs. Pieces of soft moss. Busybody even found a forgotten piece of old, frayed fabric that someone had lost. "Look, Whistler! This is like a blanket! It's sure to be super warm!" Whistler examined the fabric. "It looks interesting. We'll add it to our testing materials."
They began building small enclosures, each from a different material. One just from leaves, another from grass, a third from moss, and a fourth from pieces of fabric. They used the twigs as little posts to help the material hold its shape. Meanwhile, they warmed four small, smooth pebbles in the sun, almost identical ones.
When the pebbles were pleasantly warm to the touch, Whistler carefully distributed them. He placed one in each small enclosure. "Now we must wait a while," he said seriously. "So we can see which pebble keeps its heat the longest." Busybody shifted impatiently from paw to paw. Waiting wasn't his favorite activity. "And how long will we wait?" he asked. "I'd like to know the result already!" "Patience, my friend," Whistler smiled. "Good things take time. We can meanwhile watch the ants carrying their supplies, or count how many acorns have fallen from the oak."
So Busybody sat down next to Whistler and tried to be patient. For a while he watched the industrious ants, then he tried to count the shadows of leaves on the ground. But it was difficult, because the sun was slowly moving and the shadows were changing. After some time, when the sun was no longer so high and the evening chill began to fall on the forest, Whistler said: "I think it's time for a check."
They carefully approached the first enclosure, the one made of leaves. Whistler inserted his paw inside and touched the pebble. "Hmm, it's still a bit lukewarm, but it's cooled down quite a bit." Busybody tried it too. "Indeed, I can barely feel any warmth." They moved to the enclosure made of dry grass. The pebble was similar to the one in the leaves, maybe a tiny bit warmer, but the difference was negligible. Then came the turn of the moss. Whistler touched the pebble and blinked in surprise. "Oh! This one is still nicely warm!" Busybody quickly stuck his paw into the moss enclosure. "Really! It's much warmer than the previous ones!" Finally they checked the pebble in the fabric enclosure. "This one is warm too," Whistler admitted. "It seems that fabric and moss are the best protectors of heat." Busybody hopped with joy. "Super! So our new little house will be made of moss and... and that fabric, if we find more of it!"
Whistler pondered. "Moss is definitely excellent. There's plenty of it here too. Fabric is also good, but we only have a small piece of it. Maybe we could use it for a special place, like lining our little beds." "That's a perfect idea!" agreed Busybody. "And what if we combined more things? For example, we could make the walls from twigs and moss, and put leaves on the roof so water would flow off nicely if it rained?" Whistler looked at Busybody approvingly. "You see, I hadn't even thought of that. A combination of materials might be even better! Leaves on the roof is a good idea for water drainage. But moss will keep heat the best. So we'll make the main insulating layer from it. We'll reinforce the walls with twigs and we can also weave them with dry grass to make them stronger and denser."
"And what if we gave ourselves one more task?" suggested Busybody, who had grown fond of experimenting. "What if we tried whether it's better to have a thick layer of moss or a thin one? Does more moss mean more heat?" Whistler smiled. "That's a very wise question, Busybody. I think you're right. A thicker layer of material that insulates well should keep heat even better. Like when you put on a thick sweater instead of a thin shirt when it's cold outside." "Exactly!" exclaimed Busybody. "So we'll gather lots and lots of moss! And build ourselves the warmest burrow in the whole forest!"
And so they set to work. Whistler carefully selected stronger twigs for the frame of their new dwelling, and Busybody enthusiastically carried whole clumps of soft green moss. They learned that some materials hold heat better than others, and that a thicker layer means better insulation. They also understood that by combining different materials they could achieve an even better result. Their new little house was to be not only warm, but also sturdy and protected from rain. The work went smoothly. Whistler planned and Busybody eagerly gathered and handed things over. They carefully lined the walls with a thick layer of moss, weaving dry grass between it for strength. They covered the roof with a layer of leaves to drain rainwater. The small piece of fabric they had found was used to line their beds.
When the little house was finished, both of them stepped back tiredly but contentedly and admired their work. From the outside, it looked like a small, green mound, perfectly blending into the forest environment. And inside? Inside there was a pleasant, cozy darkness and they could feel how the moss retained their own warmth. "It's wonderful!" whispered Busybody and snuggled against the soft mossy wall. "We did it," nodded Whistler. "And you know what's best about it, Busybody? That we figured it out ourselves, through our little experiment. We discovered what works and why." Busybody smiled. "Indeed. And now we'll never be cold again! Not even my important little tail!"
And truly. When the first cold nights came and later the winter frosts too, Whistler and Busybody sat in their new, warm little house, enjoying their gathered supplies and reminiscing about their summer adventures. And sometimes, when the wind howled outside, Whistler would say: "Do you hear that? That's just the wind. We're warm here because we used our heads and skillful paws." And Busybody would just contentedly mumble, curled up in the soft moss. Perhaps you too, children, when you're thinking next time about how to make something more pleasant or warmer, will remember Squeaky And Busybody and their material testing. After all, discovering and trying things out is great fun!