Togg's Arc

Chapter 1 of 8

Togg had promised himself a gift for Grampy, and now the gift was mocking him. The old gnome had fed him all summer, left the shed open, shared his shelves. So Togg swore to fix up the pavilion for Grampy's anniversary party, in secret, before anyone knew. But the chipmunk crouched in the wildflowers and stared at the huge wooden building, and his plan fell apart. He had no idea what the inside looked like. He couldn't hang a single flower without knowing the space. He darted along the flower beds, thinking. Blossoms crowded every stem, red and yellow and blue. A pond sat nearby, its water clear and still. Togg climbed a rock and studied the pavilion's tall posts and railings. Beautiful, yes. But useless to him. Where were the beams strong enough to hold a garland? How wide was the floor? He didn't know, and guessing would ruin everything. Something hard poked his paw. He dug it free from the flowers. A carpenter's pencil, dark and worn, its tip sharpened smooth. Someone had dropped it. Togg gripped it like a spear and looked for the owner. A gnome stood at the pavilion steps, sweeping. He wore a pointed red cap and blue plaid, with suspenders over red pants. Togg knew him. Vern kept the grounds. He cleaned the pavilion every week, whistling the whole time, and he'd never once chased Togg off. Togg dragged the pencil across the grass and dropped it at Vern's boot. "You lost this," he chirped. Vern stopped sweeping and laughed. "Well now. My best pencil, back from the flowers." He crouched to Togg's level. "You've got sharp eyes, little friend." Togg puffed his chest. Backing down wasn't in him, and asking for help felt close to it. But the party mattered more than his pride. "I need to see inside," he said. "All of it. Every corner." Vern raised a bushy eyebrow. "Curious little fellow, aren't you?" He didn't ask why. He just nodded. "Come on, then. Watch your tail on the steps." Inside, the floor stretched wide and smooth. Togg raced its edges, counting posts, measuring beams with his eyes. Vern watched him scurry. "You're planning something," he said. It wasn't a question. Togg froze, then kept moving. Vern only chuckled. When Togg finished, Vern reached into his shirt. He pulled out a folded sheet of bark paper and spread it on the floor. Fine lines covered it, every wall and railing drawn to scale. "The pavilion plans," Vern said. "Take a copy. Might help, whatever you're up to." Togg's whiskers trembled. The whole layout, laid out flat. Vern pressed the worn pencil into his paws too. "Keep it. A builder needs his pencil." Togg clutched the plans and the pencil and bolted for the flowers. He had the layout now. He could plan every garland, every bloom. But the party was days away, and one chipmunk couldn't lift a garland alone.