By Bill Conley
Moral of the Story
Sometimes we feel like giving up when things get hard, but the most important
thing is to keep going. Even small steps add up to something big when we don’t
quit. Every time we try again, we grow stronger, braver, and prouder of
ourselves. And when we stick with it, we often find out we can do more than we
ever thought we could.
In the rolling green meadows of
Maplewood Grove lived a young badger named Benny.
Benny had strong little legs, soft
gray fur, and big dreams.
More than anything, Benny wanted to
be part of the Forest Running Club, where the fastest animals trained
for the big Meadow Dash.
He had watched them from behind the
tall grass—foxes, deer, rabbits, and even a fast turtle named Tammy. They
zipped through the trees, leapt over rocks, and splashed across streams.
“That looks fun!” Benny said one
day. “I want to join!”
The next morning, he woke up early,
tied his leafy shoes, and marched down to the trail.
“Can I run with you?” he asked the
coach, a tall, wise goose named Greta.
Greta smiled. “Of course! But it
takes work, Benny. You’ll need to come back every day and give it your best.”
Benny beamed. “I will!”
At first, it was exciting.
Benny ran with the group, panting
and pushing himself. But soon, he fell behind.
He tripped over a root.
He got mud in his fur.
He came in last, again and again.
“I’m not fast like the others,” he
muttered on the way home. “Maybe I’m just not meant to do this.”
The next morning, Benny rolled over
in bed and groaned. “Maybe I’ll just skip today…”
But something deep inside whispered,
Don’t stop now.
So he got up, tied his shoes again,
and went back.
The next day? Same thing.
He still finished last. He still
tripped. His legs still ached.
But he showed up.
He ran.
He tried.
Every day, Coach Greta gave him a
gentle nod. “You’re getting stronger, Benny.”
Even though he didn’t see it yet,
Benny was changing.
One day, Benny helped a younger
rabbit who had fallen. Another day, he encouraged a chipmunk who wanted to
quit.
“I know it’s hard,” he said. “But if
you keep trying, you’ll get better.”
That night, as he sat watching the
stars, Benny whispered, “I’m not the fastest. But I’m still going.”
And something about that made him
feel proud.
Then came the big day: The Meadow
Dash.
Animals from all around gathered to
watch. A trail was marked through trees, over hills, across the stream, and
around the big oak.
Benny lined up with the others.
The whistle blew—Fweet!
And they were off!
The deer took the lead.
The fox bounded ahead.
Benny kept a steady pace, eyes on
the trail.
A branch scraped his side.
He stumbled on a stone.
He almost fell in the stream.
But he didn’t stop.
Keep going, he told himself. Just keep going.
As the race neared the end,
something amazing happened.
Benny passed two tired rabbits.
Then the chipmunk who used to run
ahead of him.
Then Tammy the turtle.
He wasn’t first.
But he wasn’t last.
He was moving forward with strength,
with heart, and with joy.
The crowd cheered as Benny crossed
the finish line, muddy and smiling.
“You did it!” Coach Greta cried.
Benny panted. “I didn’t win.”
“No,” Greta said. “But you finished.
And you didn’t quit. That’s something to be proud of.”
Benny looked around at the cheering
animals, at the trail he had just conquered, and at the smile on his own face.
He nodded. “Yeah… I guess it is.”
From that day on, Benny kept
running—not to win, but because he’d learned something big:
When you keep going—even when it’s
hard—you grow into someone strong, someone brave, and someone who never gives
up.
Moral Poem to End the Story:
When things feel tough and you slow your pace,
Don’t turn around—just run your race.
You might not win the very first try,
But you’ll go farther when you try.
Conversation Starters for Parents
and Older Readers:
1.
Why do you
think Benny wanted to give up at first?
2.
What
helped Benny decide to keep going even when it got hard?
3.
Can you
think of a time you kept trying and felt proud afterward?
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