By Bill Conley
Moral of the Story:
We all make mistakes, and sometimes our words or actions can hurt others—even
if we didn’t mean to. Saying “I’m sorry” shows that we care about the people
around us and want to make things right. It takes courage to admit when we’re
wrong, but those three little words can heal hearts and restore friendships.
Learning to apologize helps us grow into kind, responsible, and trusted
individuals.
Toby the tortoise wasn’t the fastest
in Willow Woods, but he was known for one thing: being first in line for everything.
From the berry bush to the story
circle, from the pond races to the snack table—Toby made sure he was there
before anyone else.
But lately, in his hurry to be
first, Toby had been bumping into friends, cutting in line, and hogging the
best spots without even noticing.
One morning, Toby spotted a pile of
sun-ripened berries. His favorite! As he waddled faster than ever to get there,
he didn’t see Lulu the lamb standing nearby.
BUMP!
Lulu stumbled, dropping the flowers
she had gathered for her mother.
“Oh no!” she cried. “My bouquet!”
Toby paused for a second, glanced at
the berries, and then said, “Well, they’re just flowers,” before munching a big
bite of berry.
Lulu blinked, her eyes filling with
tears. “That was really rude, Toby,” she whispered.
Toby looked away, not knowing what
to say. He didn’t mean to hurt her feelings—but he didn’t want to admit
he’d done something wrong either.
Later that day, Toby spotted Benny
the Beaver smoothing mud on a new dam. Excited to see how it worked, Toby
climbed right up without asking.
SQUISH!
SPLASH!
Mud flew everywhere, covering
Benny’s hard work.
“TOBY!” Benny shouted. “I’ve been
working on that all morning!”
“Oh… uh…” Toby stammered. “Well…
it’s just mud, right?”
But Benny wasn’t smiling. “You
could’ve said sorry.”
Toby slowly backed away. Why did
everyone keep expecting him to say “I’m sorry”?
The next day, no one saved him a
spot at story circle. No one asked him to play. Even Lulu, who always waved at
him, kept her distance.
Toby sat under a tree, alone and
confused.
Just then, Miss Hazel the Owl
swooped down and landed beside him.
“You look glum today,” she said
gently.
Toby nodded. “I didn’t do anything that
bad,” he muttered.
“Tell me what happened,” Miss Hazel
said, folding her wings.
So Toby told her—about Lulu’s
flowers, Benny’s dam, and how no one wanted to play with him now.
Miss Hazel listened carefully, then
said, “Sometimes, it’s not just what we do—it’s what we don’t do that hurts the
most.”
Toby looked up. “What do you mean?”
“You didn’t mean to hurt your
friends. But when you didn’t say 'I’m sorry,' it made them feel like you didn’t
care,” Miss Hazel explained.
Toby’s eyes widened. “But I do
care!”
“Then show them,” she said, gently
nudging him forward. “Sometimes the strongest thing you can say is: ‘I was
wrong. I’m sorry.’”
Toby thought about that all night.
The next morning, he found Lulu
picking more flowers.
He walked up slowly, lowered his
head, and said, “Lulu, I’m really sorry I knocked you over and ruined your
bouquet. I was being selfish. I should’ve helped you.”
Lulu blinked. “Thank you, Toby. That
means a lot.”
Next, Toby went to the riverbank and
found Benny stacking twigs. “Benny,” he said. “I’m sorry for climbing on your
dam. I wasn’t thinking about your hard work. Can I help you fix it?”
Benny paused… then smiled. “Sure,
Toby. I could use a careful helper like you.”
That afternoon, when story circle
began, there was a special surprise: a spot saved just for Toby.
He looked around and smiled.
Saying “I’m sorry” didn’t make him
weak. It made him strong. And it made him a better friend.
Moral Poem to End the Story:
“I’m sorry” is a healing phrase,
It clears the clouds on heavy days.
When said with care and honest heart,
It helps forgiveness do its part.
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