Once upon a time, there stood a magnificent tree, older than your great-grandparents, named the Angel Oak. It was so big, it felt like it touched the clouds.

But the most wonderful thing about the Angel Oak was not how tall it grew, but how wide it stretched. Its strong, long branches reached out, like giant, gentle wings resting right on the grass.

Every afternoon, a little girl named Elara loved to visit her big, leafy friend. She knew that under its wide, green hug, she would always feel safe and small.

Elara found her favorite spot where a big branch dipped down low. She nestled right into the crook of the branch and leaned back against the sturdy wood, ready for an adventure.

A tiny flash of brown fur zipped down the branch near Elara's ear! It was Squeak, the squirrel, who thought the Angel Oak's wing-branches were the perfect highway.

Squeak chattered a quick hello, ran along the enormous, wing-like branch, and jumped right onto the grass. The spreading branches made a wonderful bridge between the tree and the ground!

Then, soft as a cloud, came Thump the rabbit. Thump knew the widest branches made the deepest shadows, and the deep shadows meant the safest, coolest place to nap on a sunny day.

Elara giggled quietly, keeping still so Thump wouldn't hop away. She and her fuzzy friends were all snuggled together, sheltered by the great, kind wings of the old tree.

High above, the millions of green leaves whispered secrets to the sky, catching the light and letting it twinkle down like golden rain upon the resting friends below.

The Angel Oak stood strong, spreading its enormous, ancient branches wide—a forever friend, holding the earth and the sky, and every little creature in between, safe inside its wonderful hug.