Oliver and Olivia Learn to Be Gentle Together
By Bill Conley – America’s Favorite
Children’s Storyteller
Moral of the Story:
Brothers and sisters are meant to be best friends, not rivals.
Teasing, poking, and picking fights only build walls between hearts.
When you poke for fun, someone always ends up hurt or sad.
It’s not loving to get attention by bothering someone else.
Keeping your hands to yourself shows respect for each other’s space.
Kind words and sweet actions make home a happy place for all.
Don’t try to get your brother’s or sister’s attention in mean ways.
Gentleness, kindness, and love make your bond unbreakable forever.
Oliver and Olivia, the otters, were
back at Willow Creek, where sunshine danced on the water and green grasses
swayed with the breeze. Their burrow was warm and cozy, but sometimes it felt a
little too small when two curious otters wanted all the attention at the same
time.
One rainy afternoon, the two
siblings found themselves stuck inside. Oliver had just finished stacking
pebbles into a tall tower when Olivia tiptoed over and gave him a tiny poke in
the ribs.
“Hey!” Oliver squeaked, knocking
over his tower. “Why’d you do that?”
Olivia giggled and shrugged. “Just
playing! Now let’s build a tunnel instead!”
Oliver frowned. He didn’t feel like
building a tunnel now. He wanted to rebuild his tower. So, when Olivia turned
around to grab more pebbles, Oliver tapped her tail with a stick.
“Stop it, Oliver!” Olivia squealed,
dropping the pebbles all over the floor.
“Stop what? I’m just playing,”
Oliver said, copying her tone.
Mom poked her head in from the next
room. “What’s going on in here?”
“Olivia poked me first!” Oliver
blurted.
“Well, he poked me back!” Olivia
shot back.
Mom sighed and sat down between
them. She looked at her two little otters, their fur ruffled and eyes glaring
at each other.
“Do you both know why we say, ‘Keep
your hands to yourself’?” she asked.
They both shrugged.
Mom held out her soft paw. “Hands
are for helping, hugging, and being gentle. Not for poking and teasing. Do you
like how it feels when someone bothers you for fun?”
Both otters shook their heads.
“Did poking each other make your
afternoon better or worse?” Mom asked.
“Worse…” Olivia muttered.
“A lot worse,” Oliver agreed,
looking at his scattered pebbles.
Mom smiled softly. “You’re both
amazing otters. You both want love and attention. But poking and prodding and
saying mean things won’t bring you closer. It pushes you apart.”
Oliver and Olivia looked at each
other. Neither liked feeling far apart.
Mom stood up and pointed to the mess
of pebbles. “You can use your paws to pick up this mess together. And
maybe say kind words instead of pokes while you do it.”
Oliver scooped up a handful of
pebbles and placed them in Olivia’s pile. “I like your tunnel idea,” he said
shyly.
Olivia’s ears perked up. “Really? I
can help you rebuild your tower first if you want!”
Together, they rebuilt the tower
taller than before, then made a winding tunnel that curved around it like a
secret path. They even added a tiny door using a big flat shell.
“Good job, you two,” Mom said,
peeking in again. “See how much more you can do when your hands help instead of
hurt?”
The next morning, Oliver and Olivia
decided to play outside by the creek. They balanced on a log, pretending it was
a pirate ship.
At first, they were giggling and
pretending to steer the ship through stormy seas. But when Olivia wanted
Oliver’s pirate hat, she grabbed for it and tugged it right off his head.
“Hey! Give it back!” Oliver yelled,
lunging for the hat and knocking Olivia sideways.
Olivia tumbled off the
log—splash!—right into the shallow water.
She stood up, dripping wet.
“Oliver!” she cried. “You pushed me!”
“You took my hat!” Oliver shouted
back.
They glared at each other, ready to
shout some more, when they heard Dad’s deep voice from the bank.
“Captain Oliver and Captain Olivia!”
he called playfully. “Pirate captains are supposed to look out for each
other—not push each other overboard!”
Olivia giggled despite her soggy
fur. “We’re not very good pirates, huh?”
Oliver hopped down beside her and
offered his paw. “Sorry I pushed you. You can wear the hat first if you want.”
Olivia took his paw and smiled.
“Sorry I grabbed it. Let’s share it!”
Together, they put the hat on a big
rock and declared it the pirate treasure. They spent the whole morning
pretending the log was their ship and the creek was full of sea monsters to
defeat—side by side, no poking or pushing this time.
When it was time to go home, they
walked back paw in paw, soggy but smiling.
Back at the burrow, they told Mom
and Dad all about their adventure—every part of it, including the splashing and
pushing and how they fixed it together.
Mom hugged them tight. “See? When
you use your hands kindly and your words sweetly, you both feel happy and safe.
That’s how it should be every day.”
Oliver and Olivia nodded. They still
had plenty to learn, but they knew one thing for sure: brothers and sisters
were meant to help, not hurt. And every day was another chance to get it
right together.
Moral to the Story Poem:
Hands are for hugs and helping, you see,
Not poking or teasing your family.
Words are for kindness, soft and true,
They build up love between me and you.
No jumping or fighting to get your way,
Use gentle actions and kind words each day.
Brothers and sisters are treasures to keep,
Love one another—your bond runs deep.
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