Whimsy the Squirrel and the Tech Tree Tumble

When tariffs topple tech trees, even squirrels check their portfolios.

By Forest Moss (c) 2025

In the heart of the forest, where cool rivers flow,

And sunlit leaves shimmer with golden-glow,

The creatures all counted their nuts and their beans,

Investing in dreams through their leafy machines.

Whimsy the Squirrel, with bright button eyes,

Had saved up her acorns for winters and skies.

“I’ll grow them in stocks!” she declared with a squeak,

“In trees that sell tech—it’s returns that I seek!”

Each day in the clearing, the traders would chatter,

While scrolls full of numbers grew redder and fatter.

The Tech Tree stood proud, its branches sky-high,

Its bark buzzed with data, leaves reaching the sky.

Some critters preferred where the honeybees stashed,

Like the Goldbranch, where pollen and patience were cashed.

“A boring old tree,” Whimsy once said,“

It grows far too slowly to get me ahead!”

But then came a SNAP! And a RATTLE! And CRACK!

The forest fell silent—then traders stepped back.

A scroll flew from Eagle with thunderous flair:

“No chips to the Tiger! They’re not going there!”

(“That striped one out east—we’re not sending them there!”)

The creatures all gasped as the murmurs took flight—

The Chipmunk Mines shuttered before the next night.

Nvidia the Gopher and A.M.D. Mole

Saw prices fall deep in their data-rich hole.

“Eagle!” they cried, “He’s tightening trade!

The Tech Tree is trembling from tariffs he made!

”Sure enough, Eagle swooped in with a shout:“

No more magic leaves flying out or about!”

Tao the Silent, with eyes like the dusk,

Watched from the shadows—expression hushed and brusque.

He gave no reply, but he nodded his head,

And gold leaves took root where the tech ones had bled.

The clearing went wild—oh, what a scene!

Bee-Bee the Bee buzzed straight to her queen.

“I’m selling my wax and my sweet honey too!

These charts are all melting—what else can I do?”

Frog flopped and he flipped, croaking,

“SELL what you’ve got!”He dove in the pond, thinking gold would stay hot.

But Whimsy just stared, her paws on her head—“

My nuts!” she cried out, “They’re shrinking instead!”

She scurried to Goldbranch, where Judge Talon sat,

Who peered from her perch and adjusted her hat.

“Dear Whimsy,” she hooted, “this happens, you know—

The markets may tumble, but steady seeds grow.”

“Don’t chase every whisper or flutter or scare.

Not all that glitters keeps glittering there.

Some trees grow fast, others grow true—

The wisest invest not in one, but a few.”

Judge Talon then winked with a flap of her wing:

“In patience and balance, the forest birds sing.”

So Whimsy sat still, though her whiskers did twitch,

She opened her ledger and thought without glitch.

She split up her stash into hives and in logs—

In honey, in shade, even shares with the frogs.

The Tech Tree still shivered, but Whimsy stood steady,

Her nest wasn't full—but her mind was now ready.

🌱 Moral of the Tale:

When markets grow shaky and traders all shout,

It’s wisdom—not panic—that wins the payout.

Plant different seeds, and don’t dig in despair—

The forest grows best when you’re thoughtful and fair.

✍️ Why I Wrote This

I wrote this story to make the wild world of investing feel as natural as nuts in a tree. In a time when global markets shift with a tweet or a trade ban, I wanted young readers (and adults) to explore what happens when hype outruns wisdom—and how balance beats panic.

Whimsy the Squirrel chases shiny trends like many first-time investors. But through a trade dispute and a forest crash, she learns what seasoned voices like Judge Talon know: real security isn’t about guessing right once—it’s about growing steady, diversifying wisely, and listening with patience.

This fable is part of my Virtue Series on Responsibility and Financial Wisdom, helping readers see that even the smartest critters get humbled—and that’s when real learning begins.

—Ross Boulton