One quiet evening, a young rabbit named Hazel finds a single golden bamboo stalk glowing softly at the edge of the bamboo grove.
Hazel had stayed by the pond too long, chasing falling leaves, and the sky had already turned purple before she started for home. The path through the bamboo grove looked dark and strange at night, and the tall stalks rustled like whispers above her head.
Then she saw it. One bamboo stalk in the middle of the grove was glowing a soft, warm gold, and its light spilled onto the ground like a small lantern. Hazel stopped, her heart beating fast, and stared up at it in wonder.
"Don't be afraid," said a gentle voice. Owl landed on a branch nearby, his round eyes calm in the dark. "The golden bamboo glows for someone who feels a little lost. It shows the safe way home."
Hazel followed the warm light through the grove, and step by step, the path in front of her grew easier to see. When she finally reached the edge of the trees and her own front door, the golden light behind her faded gently into the night.
At breakfast, Hazel told Pip and Clover all about the glowing bamboo. "I want to see it too!" said Pip, bouncing on his toes. Owl only smiled. "It shows itself when it is truly needed," he said, "but it is always there, waiting quietly in the grove."
This story is fiction.
A new bridge for wild animals is working well in the U.S. state of Colorado. The bridge crosses Interstate 25, a busy highway between the cities of Denver and Colorado Springs. It opened in December 2025 and cost about $15 million to build.
Before the bridge was built, drivers hit a wild animal on this road almost every day. In the ten months after it opened, there were only two crashes with animals. That is a drop of about 91 percent, according to the Colorado Sun newspaper.
Elk, deer, bears, foxes, and even small frogs now use the wide bridge and five tunnels under the road to cross safely. In June 2026, a pronghorn crossed the highway safely there for the first time in about 30 years.
Source: Colorado Sun
Monday brings morning rain to Sapporo and later rain to Osaka and Fukuoka, while Tokyo stays mostly cloudy with some sun.
An umbrella is a good idea in Sapporo, Osaka, and Fukuoka today. The air is warm almost everywhere, so a light jacket should be enough.
Forecast by: Japan Meteorological Agency, forecast issued October 18, 2026, 5:00 p.m.
On this day, the Institute for International Business Communication (IIBC) created a new memorial day called TOEIC Day. The date comes from a Japanese wordplay: the numbers 10, 1, and 9 sound like "TOEIC." Every year around this day, IIBC holds fun events to help people enjoy learning English.
Source: IIBC (Institute for International Business Communication)
This day's name comes from another Japanese wordplay. The numbers 10 and 19 can be read as "tooku e iku," which means "going far away." Travel lovers created the day to celebrate the joy of visiting other countries, and many people use it to dream about a future trip.
Source: Kerokero Information
On this day, astronomer Robert Weryk found a strange, long-shaped space rock using a telescope in Hawaii. Scientists named it 'Oumuamua, a Hawaiian word for "scout." It was the first object ever found that came from outside our solar system, passing near the sun before heading back into deep space.
Source: Wikipedia
Horoscopes are just for fun. Signs are listed by today's luck.
Overall This is your best day this week, so enjoy every bright moment.
Money A pleasant surprise brightens your money today.
Love Warm laughter with close friends fills your whole day.
Lucky color Sunflower yellow
Lucky item A bright hair clip
Overall A lucky, smooth day brings good news earlier than expected.
Money A fair deal today makes you feel proud of your choice.
Love Someone close shares a kind word that stays with you.
Lucky color Moss green
Lucky item A warm mug
Overall A fresh idea excites you today, so write it down quickly.
Money A lucky bit of good news brightens your money today.
Love An honest talk brings you closer to someone you trust.
Lucky color Turquoise
Lucky item A travel journal
Overall Steady effort today brings a result you can be proud of.
Money A small, careful choice keeps your budget nicely balanced.
Love Family time brings warmth and comfort this evening.
Lucky color Pearl white
Lucky item A seashell charm
Overall A balanced, pleasant Monday helps your week start off well.
Money A smart plan today helps your savings grow a little.
Love A kind gesture from someone nearby makes you smile.
Lucky color Lavender
Lucky item A small mirror
Overall A cheerful day helps you handle a tricky task with ease.
Money A good deal today makes your money stretch a little further.
Love A playful joke with a friend turns into a happy memory.
Lucky color Sky blue
Lucky item A small compass
Overall A calm, ordinary Monday lets you ease back into your weekly routine.
Money Small savings add up today if you pay close attention.
Love A short, friendly chat lifts your mood this afternoon.
Lucky color Brick red
Lucky item A small notebook
Overall A busy day helps you finish several small tasks with ease.
Money Check prices carefully before buying something new today.
Love A gentle message to a friend brings a happy reply.
Lucky color Stone gray
Lucky item A neat notebook
Overall A quiet, steady day is good for finishing small chores.
Money A simple budget today helps you avoid an unplanned expense.
Love A short call feels warmer than a text message today.
Lucky color Chestnut brown
Lucky item A leather bookmark
Overall Today moves slowly, so rest when you can and be patient.
Money Save your coins today and enjoy something you already own.
Love Listen closely, and a quiet friend may open up to you.
Lucky color Deep plum
Lucky item A warm shawl
Overall Today feels a little slow, so take things one step at a time.
Money Hold off on spending, and check your plans twice today.
Love A quiet evening at home feels better than going out tonight.
Lucky color Slate gray
Lucky item A soft blanket
Overall Today drifts by slowly, so rest well and dream a little.
Money Avoid big spending today, and save for something special later.
Love A soft song or story brings comfort to your evening.
Lucky color Seafoam green
Lucky item A cozy blanket
We use too to say something is more than we want, and enough to say something is as much as we need.
A. "Too much" comes before the noun "work."
Answer: A. "Too much" comes before the noun "work."
Monday morning began with a cool mist over the garden, the first real chill of the week.
"Blanket weather," Linda said, peeking outside with her tea in hand. "I think today is the day."
Lyn pulled on her coat for work. "Save the fun part for after six, okay? I want to help."
"No promises," Linda said, laughing. "But I'll wait for you if I can."
At the hotel, the morning passed quickly. Lyn carried bags for two families and printed a city map for a tourist. Still, she caught herself glancing at the calendar behind the front desk more than once.
By six o'clock, the sky had turned a soft orange, and Lyn hurried home with Star barking a happy greeting at the gate.
"Perfect timing," Linda called from the storage room. "I found the extra blankets, but look." She held one up. A small moth hole sat near the corner.
"Just the one?" Lyn asked, checking the others carefully.
"Just the one," Linda said. "The rest are fine. We'll mend this one, or maybe give it to Star for her basket instead."
Star's ears perked up at the sound of her name, and she trotted over to sniff the blanket with great interest.
"I think she's already decided," Lyn said, smiling as Star turned in a circle twice and settled right down on top of it.
They carried the good blankets out to the veranda rail to air in the last of the evening sun, the colors glowing warm against the darkening sky.
Pinkysan watched from the windowsill, her tail flicking slowly, clearly unimpressed by all the fuss over fabric.
"Extra blankets, almost done," Linda said, crossing another line off her list. "Next is John's favorite tea. I still need to ask the shop if they have more."
"I can stop by tomorrow," Lyn offered. "It's close to the hotel."
Linda nodded, folding the blanket to be mended over her arm. "We're getting close now."
That night, as the house grew quiet, Lyn looked out at the persimmon tree one more time, its branches dark against a sky full of stars, and thought about how fast November was coming.
(To be continued)