By Bill Conley
America’s Favorite Children’s Storyteller
Moral to the Story:
Sometimes new things feel scary because we’ve never done them before. Fear is natural, but it doesn’t have to stop us from trying. With encouragement from parents and loved ones, we can take small steps to
grow. Falling down is part of learning, but each fall helps us get stronger. Courage isn’t the absence of fear; it’s trying even when you feel afraid. When you keep trying, you will discover confidence and joy in what you achieve.
Riding a bike is more than balance and wheels; it’s a lesson in believing in
yourself. The reward of overcoming fear is freedom, pride, and the knowledge that you are
capable.
Benny the Bunny stared at the shiny
red bike standing in the driveway. Just yesterday, it had training wheels on
it, and he felt safe riding it up and down the path. But today the training
wheels were gone. Suddenly, it looked much taller, much shakier, and much
scarier.
His long ears drooped. “I can’t do
it,” he whispered, tugging at them nervously. “I’ll fall. I’ll crash. I’ll
scrape my knees. I’ll get hurt.”
His mom knelt beside him and stroked
his fur gently. “Benny, everyone feels nervous the first time they ride without
training wheels. Even I was scared when I learned.”
Benny looked at her in surprise.
“You were?”
She nodded. “Of course. But with
practice, I got better. And so will you.”
His dad wheeled the bike over and
added with a smile, “We’ll be right here, every second. I’ll hold the
handlebars, and Mom will hold the seat. We won’t let go until you’re ready.”
Benny swallowed hard. His heart
thumped loudly in his chest. He wanted to be brave, but fear made his paws feel
heavy.
Still, with Mom holding the seat and
Dad steadying the handlebars, he climbed onto the bike.
“Just start with a little push,” Mom
encouraged.
“You’ve got this, Benny,” Dad
cheered.
Benny took a breath and pushed on
the pedals. The bike wobbled from side to side. He squeaked and quickly put his
feet down. “See? I can’t do it!”
Mom hugged him. “That wasn’t a
failure, sweetheart. That was practice.”
Dad nodded. “Each try makes you braver.”
A
Little Progress
Benny tried again. His legs pedaled,
the wheels turned, and this time he rolled a few feet before tipping into the
soft grass. He sat up, blinking in surprise.
“I went farther!” he said.
“Exactly,” Mom beamed. “Every try,
you’ll go a little farther.”
So Benny tried again. And again.
Each time he rode, he made it a little longer. He wobbled less, pedaled
smoothly, and even learned to steady himself when he felt the bike leaning too
far.
Sometimes he fell and got grass
stains on his fur. Sometimes he tipped over and pouted. But every time, Mom and
Dad were there to brush him off, cheer for him, and tell him how proud they
were.
A
Little Audience
Soon, some of Benny’s neighborhood
friends came hopping by. Millie the Mouse, Sammy the Squirrel, and Toby the
Tortoise stopped to watch.
“Are you learning to ride without
training wheels?” Millie asked.
Benny’s ears turned pink. “I’m
trying. But I keep falling.”
Sammy grinned. “That’s what I did
too! I fell ten times before I could ride. Now I zoom around everywhere!”
Toby chuckled. “Slow and steady,
that’s my style. But even I learned to balance. You’ll get it, Benny.”
Hearing his friends admit they
struggled too made Benny feel a little braver.
The
Big Try
Finally, after many tries, Dad
whispered to Mom, “I think he’s ready.”
So while Mom held the seat and Benny
pedaled, Dad gently let go of the handlebars without saying a word. Benny
didn’t notice at first. He pedaled faster and faster, his ears streaming behind
him like flags in the wind.
Then he looked over his shoulder.
Dad wasn’t holding the bike anymore.
“I’m doing it!” he shouted. “I’m
really riding!”
Mom clapped her paws. Dad pumped his
fist. His friends cheered from the side of the driveway. Benny’s smile
stretched from whisker to whisker.
He circled around the yard, pedaling
strong and steady, before rolling to a stop with his heart racing. He was
panting but glowing with pride.
A
Little Fall
Of course, the next time Benny
tried, he tipped over and skinned his knee. Tears filled his eyes.
“I don’t want to ride anymore!” he
said, hopping in frustration.
Mom kissed his knee and said softly,
“Falling is part of learning, Benny. Every good rider falls sometimes.”
Dad added, “Courage isn’t never
falling. It’s getting back on the bike after you fall.”
Benny sniffled, took a deep breath,
and climbed back on. This time, he rode even farther before stopping.
The
Reward
That night, Benny leaned his shiny
red bike against the fence with pride. He still remembered how scared he had
felt at the beginning of the day, but now he also remembered how wonderful it
felt to ride free.
At bedtime, Mom tucked him in and
whispered, “See? It wasn’t about being perfect the first time. It was about
believing in yourself.”
Dad kissed his forehead. “And now
you know, you’re braver than your fear.”
Benny snuggled into his blanket with
a smile. “Tomorrow,” he whispered to himself, “I’ll go even farther. And
someday, I’ll teach someone else how to ride.”
Moral
of the Story Poem:
Fear may whisper, “Don’t you try,”
But courage helps you still apply.
Each small fall is not the end,
It’s just the start to learn, my friend.
Believe in you, pedal strong,
You’ll find your balance all along.
With courage near and love in sight,
You’ll learn to soar, you’ll learn to ride.
Discussion
Questions
1.
Why was Benny so afraid to ride his
bike at first?
2.
How did his parents help him
overcome his fear?
3.
Can you think of something you were
once afraid to try but felt proud when you finally did?
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