By Bill Conley
Moral
of the Story:
Taking something that doesn’t belong
to you, no matter how small, is never the right choice. Honesty means respecting
what others own and not letting envy make your decisions. When we wish for what
someone else has, we must learn to admire it, not take it. True character is
built by doing the right thing, even when no one is watching.
In the sunny treetops of Mango
Mountain lived a lively little lemur named Luna.
Luna loved to swing from branch to
branch, collect colorful pebbles, and play with her forest friends. She was
smart, curious, and always full of energy.
But Luna had one weakness…
She often wanted what wasn’t hers.
One afternoon, she visited her best
friend, Tessa the Tamarin.
Tessa had just gotten a shiny blue
jump rope from her grandma. It sparkled in the sun and had wooden handles
carved with tiny stars.
“Wow,” Luna said, wide-eyed. “That’s
the coolest jump rope I’ve ever seen.”
“Thanks!” Tessa said, beaming. “You
can try it if you want.”
Luna jumped, skipped, and twirled
with it. It felt perfect.
When it was time to leave, Tessa
said, “Just bring it back tomorrow, okay?”
Luna nodded. But on her way home, a
little voice inside whispered:
"What if you kept it? Tessa has
other toys. She might not even notice right away…"
Luna looked down at the rope. It was
beautiful.
So instead of returning it the next
day, she hid it under her bed.
At school, Tessa searched her bag.
“I can’t find my jump rope,” she said sadly. “I thought Luna had it.”
Luna’s cheeks burned. “I… I haven’t
seen it,” she mumbled.
That night, Luna couldn't sleep.
Every time she looked at the rope,
her tummy twisted. She didn’t want to play. She didn’t want to smile. The rope
didn’t feel special anymore.
The next morning, Luna’s mom noticed
her sulking.
“What’s wrong, sweetie?”
Luna hesitated. “I… I took something
that wasn’t mine.”
Mom sat beside her. “Did you mean to
take it?”
“I didn’t at first,” Luna said
quietly. “But then I didn’t give it back. And now I lied about it.”
Her mom hugged her. “That takes
courage to admit, Luna. But now it’s time to make it right.”
Luna nodded slowly. She put the rope
in her bag and walked to school with heavy steps.
At recess, she found Tessa.
“I have something to tell you,” Luna
said. “I took your jump rope. I told myself I’d give it back, but then I
didn’t. I’m really sorry.”
Tessa blinked. Then she reached out
and took the rope gently.
“Thanks for telling the truth,” she
said. “That was wrong, but I forgive you.”
“You do?” Luna whispered.
Tessa nodded. “Just don’t do it
again.”
“I won’t,” Luna promised. “Ever.”
Later that day, their teacher, Mr.
Gecko, gathered the class for a lesson on honesty.
“Who can tell me what it means to be
honest?” he asked.
“Always tell the truth,” said Max
the Macaw.
“And don’t take what isn’t yours,”
added Tessa, smiling at Luna.
“Exactly,” Mr. Gecko said. “And if
you do make a mistake, own it and fix it. That’s how we grow.”
That night, Luna looked around her
room.
She saw her pebbles. Her books. Her
drawings. And she realized something important—
None of it would feel good if she
had taken it from someone else.
From that day on, Luna became the Guardian
of the Grove—a nickname her friends gave her because she was the first to
speak up when someone lost something or needed help keeping their belongings
safe.
If a toy was found, Luna returned
it.
If someone admired something she
had, she offered to share, not to give it away, but to show kindness.
And when she saw something she
wished she owned, she whispered to herself:
"Be happy for them. My time
will come."
Moral
Poem to End the Story:
Don’t take what isn’t yours to keep,
Even if it makes your heart leap.
Respect, be kind, and always share—
A truthful heart shows that you care!
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