By Bill Conley — America’s Favorite Children’s Storyteller
Moral
to the Story:
True strength is not pretending you
understand, but being brave enough to admit when you do not. Asking questions is never silly or foolish—it is the key to learning and
growing. When you raise your hand in class, you give yourself the gift of understanding
and help others who may also be confused. Every child deserves to know that curiosity is a sign of intelligence, not
weakness. Overcoming fear and shyness builds confidence that will last a lifetime. Your classmates may admire your courage because they, too, have questions they
are afraid to ask. A classroom is a place for learning, and learning only happens when we dare to
seek answers. So hold your head high, raise your paw or hand proudly, and ask until you truly
understand.
The jungle classroom was full of
chatter. Monkeys swung their tails, parrots ruffled their feathers, and turtles
shuffled slowly to their seats. At the front of the room stood Miss Owl,
the wise and gentle teacher, writing today’s lesson on the board.
Sitting quietly in the second row
was Casey the Cat. Casey loved to learn. She listened carefully, her
ears twitching as Miss Owl explained numbers, words, and stories. But there was
one problem—Casey was shy.
Whenever she didn’t understand
something, her paw stayed frozen by her side.
“What if the others laugh at me?”
Casey thought.
“What if they think I’m not smart?”
Her whiskers twitched nervously, and she tucked her paw under her desk.
That day, Miss Owl began teaching
fractions. “If you cut an apple into four pieces and eat one,” she explained,
“you’ve eaten one-fourth.”
Casey’s eyes blinked fast.
Fractions? One-fourth? She didn’t understand. She wanted to ask… but her paw
stayed glued down.
She looked around the classroom.
Benny the Bear was nodding. Lily the Lizard was scribbling notes. Max the
Monkey grinned like he already knew everything. Casey shrank lower in her seat.
At recess, her best friend, Ruby the
Rabbit, hopped over. “What did you think of fractions?”
Casey whispered, “I didn’t get it.”
Ruby tilted her head. “Me neither!
Why didn’t you ask Miss Owl?”
Casey looked at her paws. “Because I
was too scared.”
Ruby’s ears drooped. “I was too
scared to.”
Casey’s eyes widened. She wasn’t the
only one?
The next day, Miss Owl asked the
class to solve a fraction problem on the board. “Who will volunteer?”
Casey’s heart thumped. She looked at
the chalk, then at the rows of eyes. Her paw trembled but didn’t rise.
Finally, Max the Monkey hopped up,
scribbled the answer, and swung his tail proudly. “See? Easy!” he bragged.
Casey sighed. Easy for him. Not
for me.
That evening, Casey padded home with
heavy steps. She curled on the couch beside Mama Cat, who was knitting a scarf.
“Mama,” Casey whispered, “do you
ever feel scared to ask questions?”
Mama looked at her kindly. “Oh yes.
When I was your age, I thought asking questions meant I wasn’t smart. But then
I learned something important—questions are proof that you want to learn more.
And that is the smartest thing of all.”
Casey blinked. “But what if the
others laugh?”
Mama stroked her fur. “Then they’re
forgetting that everyone struggles sometimes. True courage is raising your paw
anyway.”
Casey thought about that all night.
The next day, Miss Owl explained
fractions again. Casey’s whiskers twitched. She still didn’t understand. Her
paw trembled… and then—slowly, bravely—she raised it.
Miss Owl’s eyes twinkled. “Yes,
Casey?”
Casey’s voice shook. “I… I don’t
understand how one-fourth works.”
The class grew quiet. Casey’s heart
thumped louder.
But then Miss Owl smiled. “Thank you
for asking, Casey. That’s a wonderful question.” She picked up an apple, sliced
it into four pieces, and showed the class. “See? This is one apple. Each piece
is one-fourth. If you eat one, you have eaten one-fourth of the apple.”
Casey’s eyes lit up. “Ohhh! Now I
get it!”
Ruby raised her paw. “Miss Owl, can
you show us what two-fourths looks like?”
Miss Owl beamed. “Of course! Thank
you, Ruby.”
Soon, paws and claws shot up all
over the classroom. Benny wanted to see three-fourths. Lily asked about halves.
Even Max the Monkey, who usually bragged, raised his hand quietly to ask about
eighths.
Casey realized something incredible:
By asking her question, she had opened the door for everyone else.
After class, Ruby hugged her.
“Casey, you were so brave! I was afraid, but when you raised your paw, I felt
brave too.”
Benny the Bear grinned. “Thanks for
asking, Casey. I didn’t get it either until Miss Owl explained again.”
Even Max mumbled, “Good job.”
Casey purred softly. She felt
taller, prouder. Her fear had melted into courage.
From that day on, whenever Casey
didn’t understand something, she raised her paw. Sometimes her voice shook,
sometimes her cheeks grew warm, but she always asked. And every time she did,
other animals felt braver too.
Miss Owl said one afternoon, “Casey,
you have taught this class something very important: that real strength is not
pretending you know—it’s being brave enough to ask until you do.”
Casey’s heart glowed. She had found
her courage, one question at a time.
Moral
to the story poem:
When you don’t know, don’t hide
away,
Raise your hand and find the way.
Questions show a mind that’s bright,
Seeking truth and learning right.
No question’s silly, foolish, or small,
They help us learn, they help us all.
Be brave, stand tall, and make it clear,
The path to wisdom starts right here.
Discussion
Questions:
1.
Why was Casey afraid to ask her
question at first?
2.
How did the other animals feel after
Casey was brave enough to raise her paw?
3.
Can you think of a time when you had
a question but were too shy to ask? What might you do differently now?
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