Little Bear and Fluttershy, Rarity, and Pinkie Pie were picking berries for making a huckleberry pie. "The basket is almost full, Darling.", Rarity said.
"That's why I need to collect more berries for a huckleberry pie.", Little Bear said.
"Sounds delicious.", Fluttershy said.
"I'm getting hungry.", Pinkie Pie said.
"Me to.", Little Bear said as he picks up the basket.
"It's getting late.", Rarity said looking at the sun. It was almost down.
"And we got a long way back.", Little Bear said walking down the lane with his friends.
"Why not take the shortcut through the woods?", Pinkie Pie asked.
"What shortcut?", Little Bear asked.
"Rainbow Dash's shortcut.", Fluttershy said. "Don't you remember?"
"I think so.", Little Bear said.
"It's ok, Little Bear, I know the way.", Fluttershy said leading her friends into the shortcut.
They walked under low tree branches, Little Bear was still concerned about the shortcut. "Are you sure you know where we're going, Fluttershy?", he asked.
"Of course I do.", Fluttershy said. "It's this way." They went to the left lane by the tree.
Then, all of a sudden, there was a cold wind. "At least, I think it's this way.", Fluttershy thought.
"What if there's a tree goblin?", Rarity asked.
"There's no such thing as tree goblins, silly.", Pinkie laughed.
They kept walking. "I don't remember going this way.", Little Bear said.
"It just looks different, because it's getting late.", Fluttershy said.
The wind blew harder and harder causing a tree branch to tap on Little Bear's shoulder. He gasped. "Pinkie Pie, did you tap me on the shoulder?", he asked.
"No, I'm over here.", Pinkie said.
"Something tapped me on the shoulder.", Little Bear said looking back.
"Maybe it was a tree goblin.", Fluttershy said.
"I thought you said there's no such thing as tree goblins.", Little Bear said.
"If there were such a thing, this is where would live.", Fluttershy said.
They kept walking. "Did you know tree goblins have magic shoes?", Little Bear asked.
"How could shoes be magic?", Rarity asked.
"Because, they can walk all by themselves.", Little Bear said.
"I don't think so.", Fluttershy said.
"But, it's true, that's why tree goblins always lose their shoes, if you listen, you can hear them.", Little Bear said. "They go pit-pat, pit-pat, pit-pat."
Then, the pit-pat noise starts to come. Rarity darts her eyes back and forth. "Where's that coming from?", she asked.
"It's coming from over there.", Little Bear said pointing to the right.
"No, there.", Pinkie said pointing to the left.
"No, over this log.", Fluttershy looking over a log.
Then, something made them bounce over the log. "Something kicked me.", Little Bear said.
"It kicked me to.", Pinkie said.
They looked over the log and gasped. Two walking shoes jumped over the log. They chased Little Bear, Fluttershy, Rarity, and Pinkie Pie around trees. They jumped over the log and ducked before the shoes can see them again. They panted as they hid. "Do you think we lost them?", Pinkie Pie asked.
"I think so.", Little Bear said. "I've never ran that fast before."
The shoes jumped over the log and the travelers, but they didn't see them, they kept running down the lane. "They didn't see us.", Little Bear said.
Then, a tree goblin jumped over them, it was running after those shoes. It made Little Bear, Fluttershy, Rarity, and Pinkie Pie laughed. Then, it turned into an echo. "Did you hear that?", Rarity asked.
"Hear what?", Little Bear asked.
"That laugh.", Rarity said.
"Our laugh?", Little Bear asked.
"No, the laugh of a laughing tree.", Rarity said.
"I never heard of them.", Little Bear said.
"It grabs you and tickles you until you laugh.", Rarity said. "You have to tell a joke to it, or you'll never get away."
"There's no such thing.", Little Bear said.
They kept walking until they heard laughing, it was the laugh of a laughing tree. They turned around and saw it laughing. "What are you two doing in my woods?", the tree asked.
"Sweet Celestia, it's real!", Pinkie said.
"Wow, I guess you weren't kidding.", Little Bear said.
Then, the tree's branches grabbed Rarity, Fluttershy, and Pinkie by the back hooves making them hang upside down. "Hey!", Little Bear said.
The tips of the branches began tickling the bellies of the hanged ponies. "Tell it a joke, Little Bear, he's tickling me! Hahahahaha!", Rarity laughed.
"Make him stop, Little Bear, I can't stand it anymore! Hehehehehe!", Fluttershy laughed.
"Leaf them alone." Little Bear snickered. "Get it, 'leaf' them alone'?"
The branches let the ponies down and started laughing. "HAHAHAHAHAHAHA THAT'S FUNNY!", the tree laughed.
The travelers got away before the tree can grab them again.
They laughed at the joke Little Bear told earlier, then they found themselves at the same tree they found. "Oh man, we're back where we started.", Little Bear said.
"Looks like somepony was wrong.", Rarity said to Fluttershy. "You thought you knew the way."
Then, all of a sudden, Rainbow Dash jumped out of nowhere scaring Rarity. Rarity screamed and hid behind Little Bear's feet. "Rainbow Dash!", she scowled.
"And what's wrong with my shortcut?", Rainbow Dash asked.
"It's not good if you get lost.", Fluttershy said.
"It is good, you thought it was bad, because you took the wrong way.", Rainbow Dash said. "And it's not my fault."
"Can you lead the way home, Rainbow Dash?", Little Bear asked.
"Of course I can.", Rainbow Dash said leading her friends. "Follow me."
"There's nothing to be afraid of.", Rainbow Dash said.
"We saw a tree goblin.", Little Bear said. "It was scary, wasn't it, Fluttershy?"
"Yes it was, Little Bear.", Fluttershy said.
"And we saw a laughing tree.", Pinkie Pie said. "It was even scarier, wasn't it, Rarity?"
"Oh yes, Darling.", Rarity said.
"There's no such thing.", Rainbow Dash said. "What's really scary is the big black crow who lives in these woods."
"That's not scary as a goblin.", Little Bear said.
"It's the biggest bird who lives in these woods.", Rainbow Dash said. "It's big as a tree."
"Big as a laughing tree?", Fluttershy asked.
"Nope, even bigger.", Rainbow Dash said. "It's so big, that it's bigger than a house."
"Oh, that's big.", Little Bear, Rarity, Fluttershy, and Pinkie Pie said.
The wind kept blowing, berries dropped out of Little Bear's basket, a bird flew by. "We need to watch out for goblins.", Little Bear said.
"And laughing trees.", Pinkie Pie said.
"And giant crows.", Rainbow Dash said.
The mysterious bird landed by a berry that fell out of Little Bear's basket.
"Goblins."
"Laughing trees."
"And giant crows."
"Goblins."
"Laughing trees."
"And giant crows."
Then the five said, "Goblins, laughing trees, and giant crows, what could be scarier, nopony knows."
Then, they heard a squawk of a bird from behind. The five gasped. "Oh no.", Fluttershy said.
"That's not good.", Little Bear said.
"It could be--", Rainbow Dash said with a pause. She laughed.
And so did the rest of the five travelers. "Goblins, laughing trees, and giant crows, what could be scarier, nopony knows." They laughed as they ran back to the castle.
"We're back.", Little Bear said.
Twilight waited patiently at the front door. "Hello, you five.", she said.
"Look at the berries we collected.", Little Bear said giving the basket to Twilight. "We found a tree goblin, a laughing tree, and a giant crow."
Twilight looked in the basket and there was nothing. "Oh, where's your berries?", she asked. "I don't see any in here."
Little Bear saw the hole in the basket. "Oh no, my berries.", he said.
"Don't worry, I picked a few berries when I came home.", Twilight said. "I make pie already."
"Alright, it never took long to get back here, as long as we take Rainbow Dash's shortcut.", Little Bear said.
They heard the squawk of the crow one last time.