Samuel Wellington is a young squirrel with a beautiful black fur who lives on Maple Street , a street with grand old trees where young human families with lots of children also live . Every day from high in the Great Maple , Samuel and Jimmy --- his best friend --- enjoy watching the children at play . With the leaves starting to turn and the air crisp and clean , it's a perfect day to go to the pond on Hickory Lane where a big oak tree with a ton of acorn is alive and thriving . At the pond , they run into Buckskin , the neighborhood bully . Today , a moving van stationed on Hickory Lane , is in the process of moving the family with the French poodle . From their perch , Sammy , Jimmy , and Buckskin watch with interest as the movers transfer pieces of furniture into the moving van. "I wonder if there is any food on that moving van , " Buckskin says casually . "Dude , it's not a food truck," says Jimmy . "Maybe someone forgot a granola bar in a drawer . I dare one of you two monkeys to go down and check it out," Buckskin says . "How about you , Sammy?" "Like Jimmy said , it's not a food truck , dude . Besides , I've already had breakfast." "You ' re scared ... aren ' t you? You ' re just scared ... plain and simple , " Buckskin adds coyly . Sammy is not in the mood to play "dare games" . Still , he doesn't want to give Buckskin the satisfaction of letting him win . So , he climbs down , slips quietly behind the bush next to the moving van , then when the movers go into the house , he sneaks into the truck through the ramp-door in the rear of the van . Suddenly , then , something unexpected happens --- a man climbs out of the cab , walks to the rear of the van , pushes a button , and bingo , the ramp door starts to close while Sammy is still inside . Sammy sees daylight disappear and he knows that he is trapped . After traveling all night , Sammy arrives in a town called Pinegrove . In Pinegrove all the squirrels are gray . There are no black squirrels in Pinegrove . But there are many narrow-minded residents who do not want a black squirrel to live among them . They hold a meeting and they put it to a vote as to whether a black squirrel should be allowed to live in Pinegrove --- a gray squirrel community . Good News: A majority of the residents voted to let Sammy live in Pinegrove . Sammy , of course , is glad . Eventually , though , Sammy grows restless . He is unhappy . Deep down he misses his mother and father and his friend Jimmy and his nest in the Great Maple . He wants to go home . For the journey home , he ' s joined by Rocky , a squirrel - friend ; Charlie , a husky ; Baxter , a bald eagle ; Princess , an orphan fawn . On their quest to reach Sammy ' s hometown in the North Country , they save a bear cub entangled in a bramble bush during a snow storm ; they rescue Princess when she falls into a raging river ; they fight an outlaw , ruthless wolf and his gang ; and liberate a group of younglings from an autistic bear . They arrive in Centerville --- Sammy ' s hometown --- on Christmas Eve , just in time to see the lighting of the annual Christmas tree and the Christmas carols concert by the boys and girls in the town ' s square .