“But mom, why do I have to go to Grandma’s alone? The woods scare me.”

“Oh Red, you make that trip four times a year and nothing has ever happened. This is Southern Transylvania; the winter weather is warm and nothing untoward has happened to anyone here in years. Why are you still so terrified?”

“I’m still afraid every time I enter her woods. The temperature drops; the path gets dank and it gets dark as dusk even first thing in the morning. My bad dreams got worse this past week. I’m cold and naked and big trees bow to me as if I am their queen or something. As they do, I grow roots and grow stronger and taller. I’m not going there alone again even if it is Christmas eve. I mean it.“

“Oh please Red, you’re not a child any longer. Tomorrow is your special birthday, your twenty-first, you are an exceptional woman. We’re always naked so why does that bother you? Be brave. You can take your pet sheep with you for courage, or at least as a distraction.”

“Baa-baa? You think my black sheep can protect me? Why he ... Ohhhh! You mean the wolves will eat him before me and I...”

“It won’t come to that. But, yes, if it does, well you know. Bye bye black sheep.”

“Baa-baa hasn’t been himself for several days. Hmm, not since that wolf scare. Mom! Have you even noticed my hair is green now? Yet, you’re still calling me Red. I changed my color since I was tired of that name. You can call me Verdant, Grassy or even Leafy.”

“No dear, I can’t. I don’t call you Red because of your long red hair.” Mom paused, debating whether to share a huge secret or not. She chose to share just enough. “It’s about time you knew. Your dad, expecting a boy, named you Redmond before I woke after giving birth. I hated it, so I just called you Red for short. Is that better?”

Red’s shoulders drooped as did her chin. “That’s one reason he’s not here any longer. Now scoot! Get to his mama’s house. You will spend the night there. She has an extra special gift for you this year and our usual holiday gift to cover our mortgage. We need that cash. Go get it before the old ... umm, dear forgets that she wants to make up for her son’s stupidity. Go before it really gets dark. Make sure you wear your hunter orange cape so those woodland pot heads don’t shoot you.”

There was so much more she wanted to tell her virgin daughter, but she knew Red had to learn the profound facts firsthand. Like how special her dad and grand parents are. Like the real reason she raised Red as a naturalist and they shared all the farm chores wearing nothing but a floppy hat and boots. Like learning that her paternal grandma is a naturalist too and that’s why she always wore a full body cloak around Red, even when in bed. Would she understand and be grateful for that special sun block grease if she knew its true origins? Poor Henry and Gretchen.

“Red, dear, do drop off that third bushel of black sheep wool to mother Habbart and her little boy Bleu. They moved into our decades empty old house down the lane last month and we haven’t welcomed them yet. You know, I think I’ll invite them over for curds and whey while you’re gone.” Actually, she hoped to seduce Lil boy bleu and suck his whey her way. Twenty-one years without a man makes one so horny! “Have a safe trip, dear.” I do hope they treat her well and don’t frighten her with the news they must share with her. As if sharing a birthday with Christmas hasn’t been enough of a hardship for poor

Redmond. Fingers crossed this only changes our lives for the better. I wish I could be with her for her sexual awakening.

Not feeling the least bit better, Red, umm Leafy(?), put on her blue gingham dress with six petticoats under it. Her matching blue shoes and white bobby socks completed her childlike self image and masked her womanly curves. She grabbed a basket of pork sliders and a flask of moon shine for granny and left before noon. “Come on Baa-baa. You’re such a good pet to protect me. We have a long walk.” Baa-baa hobbled along with a troubled gait.

“Thank you, Baa-baa for carrying that bushel of your own wool. It’s just too much for me with this basket and silly shoes. I always wonder why mama makes me put on clothes to visit grandma. This is a pretty dress, but clothes are so clumsy. Well, I suppose one day of that ‘civil modesty’ isn’t too much to bare, oops, I mean bear, you silly sheep. No noise now, shhhh. Maybe we can just drop the bushel off and leave before anyone notices.”

“Oh, hello dear,” said naked mother Habbart. “You must be Mrs. Hood’s child. Isn’t that a pretty dress?! I thought your mom said this was a naturalist farm. Why are you so dressed up?”

“Hello Mrs. Habbart. My pleasure to meet you. Yes, sorry about the clothes. Mom says Christmas is our one day a year of ‘civil modesty,’ whatever that is, and we must dress up, especially when we go visiting. I suppose that’s why she didn’t get dressed today. Christmas is also my birthday. I’m on my way to visit my granny in the deep woods so I can’t stay. This bushel of black wool is for you and Bleu.”

“Thank you so much. He needs it to make padding for his instruments and tools since we don’t have clothes to protect him. Come in and meet him, even if just for a moment.”

“I shouldn’t. Baa-baa and I must get to the deep woods before dark. It can be dangerous to be in the woods after sunset. But I mustn’t be rude. I can come in to say hello and come back after my trip.”

“How sweet, dear. You call your black sheep Baa-baa? How interesting. He doesn’t look well. Is he eating OK?”

Baa-baa growled then baaaaa’d in answer. I’ll show HER how well I eat. She’ll have to wait for me to get back from eating granny and Red. Mother Habbart and Bleu are next on my menu. She does look tasty. Maybe I’ll EAT her before I eat her. Hmm, Red first.

“You wait here for me, Baa-baa. I’ll be right out. Ohh, hello. You must be little boy Bleu.” Oh my, he’s not so little and he’s getting ... bigger. Bleu noticed him staring at his swelling manhood and smiled.

Extending a hand as he turned his naked muscular body sideways to show off his pride, he offered, “Hello. I am Bleu. But as you might guess, no one has called me ‘little’ for quite some time.” He winked flirtatiously. “I’m very grateful for the black wool. I do hope your sheep hasn’t suffered for the loss of it. Why are you wearing such pretty clothes?”

Slowly shaking hands, Red stammered, “I ah, don’t have time to repeat my story, sorry I have to go. Ask your mama. I’ll come see you again when I get back. Bye.” Oh, I definitely will come back to see -more- of you. I’ll be in my birthday suit too then. “Bye mama Habbart.”

“Poor Baa-baa, it’s really not that far, but are you OK? I’ll need you in the woods. Let’s get going.”

Baa-baa nodded and made the oddest kind of grunt. Redmond could almost hear him say yes. She pet his lumpy, coal-black coat. “My my Baa-baa, your coat needs a real good combing and I wonder why it’s so loose on your sides. I hope you aren’t getting sick.” Skipping like a child, Leafy made good time to the magic forest. She stopped cold just a few feet away from the miles-long wall of tall trees and stared at the only clear entrance. It was wagon narrow and unnaturally framed by bent trees arching together. The tree-made tunnel darkened in just a few feet, but she knew she would get used to that. Still, something was different.

Since her last trip here, eight-inch high, purple mushrooms grew across the entrance and for twice as far as she was tall. They appeared to form a bulwark to protect the entrance. When she took a step closer, they all appeared to lean toward her. “Oh my, what do we have here, Baa-baa? I don’t see how we can enter without stepping on a few of these pretty shrooms.” Baa-baa shook his head violently; grunted a no in warning, and head butted Red away. “Don’t be silly, Baa. A few pretty shrooms can’t stop us. You can jump over them and I’ll run fast so I only hurt a couple.”

Baa huffed and puffed his terror, but Red took a flying start and dashed through the roadblock. Several of the shrooms puffed a wee cloud of purple haze as she hopped over them, but the six she squashed let out a squeal and a dense purple cloud which surrounded her and Baa. “See, that wasn’t so bad,” she coughed and wheezed. Baa sneezed with a little growl.

“Now which was the best path to granny’s? There seem to be several more than last time.” Red picked a dark path to her left and Baa hobbled alongside. “Oh my, I’m feeling a bit dizzy. Baa-baa, what are you d... ?” The last thing she saw was Baa-baa stand tall and shed his black sheep fuzz. Towering above her instead was a big black wolf. Both fell to the ground on their backs. His last waking thought was, I guess I’ll have to wait a bit longer to eat her. He stared up her skirt getting a quick view of her bared, virginal pussy.

An unknown time later, she stirred and shivered as she opened her eyes. Baa was still sleeping between her legs, but oddly, all his fur was gone. Dark patterns revealed where on his grey-brown hide his black hair had been. There could be no doubt he had been a wolf all along and hiding in her sheep’s clothing.

Imagine her shock when she sat up, looked down, and saw that she too was naked. All her hair was gone too. From the reddish fuzz on her legs, up her slim, womanly body to her shoulders and on her back, it was all gone. The lustrous green head hair she pampered—gone. The red eyebrows and lashes—gone. The red freckles on her bare chest, well, those were still there.

Leafy, err Red, rubbed her eyes and noted that she and Baa were in a clearing surrounded by a near-perfect circle of Christmas trees—all types. None was over eight feet tall, and all were leaning toward her, much like her dreams. As Baa-baa stirred, she heard a deep, yet squeaky voice nearby. “It’s about time youz two wakes up. Dis party would be no fun if you wuz still sleepin.”

Red twisted around, scraping her tender, bare butt on the forest twigs, and saw a racoon in a red and white santa hat and outfit was the source. He held a favors sack, with gifts for all attending. It stood three times his height and ten times his length. Baa stirred and strained to lick Red’s pristine pussy and ass. Red stood and quickly covered her ‘naughty bits’ before slowly spinning around to note the many woodland creatures encircled by tall, purple mushrooms. Baa leapt to his feet, stooped toward and growled deeply at the critter party. They laughed at him, which only made him madder. Though shocked, Red clamped his muzzle shut.

“Yeah, no pernt in coverin up, silly goil. My crew and da beetle group dar been over all ov youse. We watched as dem too crawled all ova you and nibbled all youz hair away from all over boat ov youz. Ya gotz a sweet tastn pussy, so we all took a lick.” Red blushed then looked where the coon pointed and noted a dense circle of hundreds of insects with one of the dung beetles also wearing a santa hat. What is going on here, she wondered in awe?

As the santa beetle called for the bug party to begin, she barely had a second to question how she understood all these critters before the encircling Christmas trees rattled their branches and stepped closer to her. They somehow looked angry and menacing. Pine needles showered her and mostly Baa. Purple shrooms diddered and threatened to engulf them in more spoors, but one of the firs shouted, “Stop.“ He continued, “This is a party, not a buffet.”

Red gasped, “You speak too? How can this be? I must still be dreaming.” As she spread her arms to include everyone, she forgot she was naked. Baa-baa didn’t. He couldn’t wait to get those fat tits in his mouth and lick that pussy deep inside. She turned back to the racoon santa. “Your name wouldn’t be Rocky, would it?” she giggled.

“Nah, dey callz me B since I flies in every year from Brooklyn for dis party. Dey iz family, afta awls. Dem trees been around a long time, but dis iz the foist time dey agreed to tawk to one ov you umanz, far as I knowz. Maybe listen and share dare message?” The shrooms rattled and leaned toward the apparent tree leader.

“Um, sure, of course. But may I have my clothes back first? That’s my prettiest dress and one of my only outfits. I’m happy to listen to trees speaking to me from my dreams.” Convinced it was all a dream, it no longer mattered that she was naked and surrounded. The tallest of the firs leaned forward to speak.

“Now listen up Redmond; this is not a dream. Our friends, the purple magic mushrooms, dosed you so you could be aware of the lives around you. Because your artificial green hair reeked of unnatural odors, the forest warriors saw you as a threat and stripped you. When they saw all the red hair on the rest of you, they called in the insects to eat all your hair of any color. That’s why you are naked and hairless. Your friend reeked of lamb and wolf in one, so they stripped him too and ate his fur.” Red’s jaw dropped as she listened to the learned fir. She stared at Baa-baa wolfie and recalled the wolf attack of a few days ago. Angry and confused, she still mourned her pet sheep.

“Forgive me my bad manners, Red. Though my name is Douglas Fuhr, you may call me Doug. This is my mate, Virginia Pine. We are a mixed race couple. The rest of our friends are more traditional pairings. Her cousin, White Pine is joined with Scotch Pine. White Spruce is coupled with Norway Spruce for some international flare. Colorado Blue Spruce is their offspring. The Eastern Red cedars are planning a large family as are Arizona Cypress and Leyland Cypress. Fraser and Canaan Fir brought their little darlings, Grand Fir and Noble Fir. Their papa by natural pollination, Balsam fir, is the most fragrant among us and is most sought after for human homes for the holidays. Now you can see we are all living beings. Our message for you humans is simple. Please stop axing our families. Let us breed and grow old naturally or we will stop you forcefully.“