By Bill Conley
Moral of the Story:
Trying something new can feel tough at first.
But don’t give up when the steps feel hard.
Practice and patience help you grow strong.
Keep going—you’ll be proud you did all along.
In the sunny town of Willow Pond,
where the grass was green and the water sparkled like crystal, lived a cheerful
and curious young goose named Gracie.
Gracie loved flying in formations,
playing tag with dragonflies, and splashing in puddles with her friends. But
there was something Gracie loved even more than games and giggles—dancing.
Not just any kind of dancing—ballet.
Every Tuesday afternoon, Gracie
twirled into the big blue barn at the edge of the pond for ballet class, led by
Madame Swanette, the most graceful swan in the whole meadow.
Gracie adored her pink slippers, the
soft music, and the way her wings fluttered when she did her pliés.
But one Tuesday, things didn’t feel
quite so fun.
“Today, we’ll begin learning our
recital routine,” said Madame Swanette with a proud smile. “It’s called The
Flight of the Feathers. Everyone will have a solo moment.”
Gracie gulped. “A solo?”
“And it will take practice,” Madame
continued. “Grace, strength, and memory. Let’s begin!”
At first, Gracie tried to copy
Madame Swanette’s moves. But her webbed feet kept slipping on the floor.
She flapped the wrong wing.
She forgot the order.
She stumbled and bumped into Bella
the Bluebird.
“Oh no!” Gracie cried.
Madame Swanette gently helped her
up. “It’s okay, dear. Every dancer stumbles when learning something new.”
But by the end of class, Gracie’s
feathers drooped. “I’m no good at this,” she whispered. “I’ll never get it
right.”
That night, at dinner, Gracie poked
at her corn niblets. Her mom noticed right away.
“Is something wrong, sweet goose?”
Gracie sighed. “Ballet is too hard.
Everyone else is better. I want to quit.”
Her father set down his spoon.
“Learning something new is always tricky at first.”
“But I’m messing everything up!”
Gracie said, a tear slipping down her cheek.
Mama Goose reached out a wing.
“Sweetie, remember when you first tried to fly? You flapped and flapped and
flopped right into a bush.”
Gracie blinked. “I did?”
“You did,” Dad laughed. “But you
didn’t give up—and look at you now.”
“You fly beautifully,” said Mama.
“And with practice, you’ll dance beautifully too.”
Gracie’s beak curled into a tiny
smile. “You really think so?”
“We know so,” they said
together.
So the next day, Gracie practiced.
She practiced in the barn.
She practiced in the grass.
She practiced on a lily pad (until
it tipped and she splashed in!).
Even when she messed up, she
laughed, shook her tail, and tried again.
The weeks passed, and recital day
arrived.
The barn was glowing with twinkling
lights. The audience was full of proud parents, excited siblings, and lots of
little goslings holding paper flowers.
Gracie peeked from backstage. “My
tummy feels like it’s doing pirouettes,” she whispered.
Captain the Cavalier, who was
attending with Kim the Kitten, leaned over. “That just means you care. You’re
going to do great.”
“Just dance with your heart,” said
Penny the Parakeet.
The music began.
One by one, dancers floated across
the stage—spinning, hopping, gliding.
Then… it was Gracie’s turn.
She stepped onto the stage, the
spotlight warm on her feathers.
She took a breath.
One step. Two turns. One leap.
And then—magic.
Gracie danced like the breeze over
the pond. Her wings glided, her feet twirled, her smile shined. The moves she
once forgot now flowed like music in her bones.
When she finished, the barn burst
into cheers!
“Bravo, Gracie!” someone shouted.
Tears sparkled in Madame Swanette’s
eyes. “Magnifique!”
Gracie’s parents clapped the
loudest, shouting, “That’s our girl!”
After the show, Gracie hugged her
parents tight.
“You were amazing,” her mom said.
“You must be proud of yourself,” her
dad added.
Gracie beamed. “I’m really glad I
didn’t quit.”
“We are too,” said Mama Goose. “You
worked hard and it showed.”
And from that day forward, whenever
Gracie faced something tricky—whether it was building a nest, learning to bake,
or solving a puzzle—she remembered her ballet recital.
And she told herself:
Don’t quit. Keep going. You’ll get
there.
Because Gracie the Goose had
stuck with it—and soared.
Poem:
When things get tough, don’t walk away,
Just take a breath and try that day.
With every step and every try,
You'll spread your wings and learn to fly.
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