Ricky the Raccoon Learns to Respect Others
By Bill Conley
Moral
of the Story:
Respect means listening, waiting
your turn, and thinking about others, not just yourself. When you interrupt,
grab, or ignore people’s feelings, it makes others feel unimportant. True
friendship comes from kindness, patience, and treating others the way you’d
like to be treated. Good manners and respectful words help everyone feel seen,
heard, and valued.
Ricky the Raccoon was always the
loudest animal in Red Berry Woods.
He had big ideas, fast words, and
strong opinions—and he wanted everyone to hear them.
But Ricky had a problem.
He interrupted when others were
talking.
He grabbed the biggest cookie from the snack table.
He cut to the front of the line.
And when his friends shared stories, he talked right over them.
“Hey! I was still talking,” Milo the
Mole would say.
Ricky would shrug and say, “Yeah,
but my story’s better.”
He didn’t mean to be rude. He just
wanted to be heard.
But one by one, Ricky’s friends
started to walk away.
One afternoon, during Story Circle
at forest school, Daisy the Deer was reading her poem.
“And then the petals bloomed in
the—”
“That reminds me of the time I saw
ten flowers grow all at once!” Ricky blurted out.
Everyone turned and frowned.
“Ricky, you interrupted again,” said
Miss Owl, the teacher.
Ricky blinked. “But it was a good
story!”
“It may have been,” Miss Owl said,
“but now Daisy feels ignored.”
Daisy looked down sadly.
At recess, Ricky tried to play tag,
but no one joined.
“Why won’t anyone play with me?” he
muttered.
Miss Owl fluttered beside him.
“Ricky,” she said gently, “would you
like to come talk with me under the Listening Tree?”
Ricky shrugged. “I guess.”
They sat on a low branch as sunlight
filtered through the leaves.
Miss Owl looked at Ricky kindly.
“You’re a bright, energetic raccoon. But sometimes your energy makes others
feel small.”
“I don’t get it,” Ricky said. “I
just want to be part of things.”
“Of course you do,” said Miss Owl.
“But respect means sharing the space, not taking the space.”
She handed him a smooth, round
stone. “This is the Listening Stone. When someone holds it, they get to speak.
Everyone else listens.”
Ricky turned the stone in his paws.
“Wanna try it with me?” Miss Owl
asked.
Ricky nodded.
She took the stone. “When I was
young, I also liked to be heard. But I learned something powerful—when you listen,
others want to hear you more.”
Then she passed the stone to Ricky.
He held it quietly for a moment.
“I… I think I talk too much,” he
said. “I don’t mean to be mean. I just get excited.”
Miss Owl smiled. “That’s a good
start. Respect means slowing down, noticing others, and giving them space.”
The next day, Ricky came to school
with a plan.
He sat in the Story Circle and waited
quietly.
When Benny the Bunny raised his paw
to speak, Ricky listened all the way through.
“That was really cool,” he said
afterward.
Miss Owl gave him a proud glance.
At snack time, Ricky let others go
first and chose the second-biggest cookie.
At recess, he waited in line for the
slide—and even said “Good job!” to the animal ahead of him.
Soon, his friends noticed.
“You’re acting different today,”
Milo said.
“I’m trying something new,” Ricky
replied. “It’s called respect.”
They all smiled.
Later that week, Miss Owl gave
everyone a challenge: “Let’s have a Respect Relay!”
The game had four steps:
1.
Wait for your turn.
2.
Listen without interrupting.
3.
Say something kind.
4.
Say thank you after sharing.
The class was split into teams.
Ricky’s team was nervous. “Can you
do this?” asked Daisy.
“I think so,” Ricky said, breathing
deeply.
When his turn came, he waited
patiently. He listened carefully. He complimented Benny’s run. And he ended
with a big smile and a thank-you.
“Way to go, Ricky!” his team
cheered.
They didn’t win the race, but they
won the Respect Ribbon for best teamwork.
And Ricky was glowing.
That evening, Ricky sat with his mom
and dad.
“Guess what? I’m learning about
respect,” he said.
His mom nodded. “We’ve noticed!
You’ve been kinder at home, too.”
His dad added, “We’re proud of the way
you’re growing.”
Ricky smiled. “It feels good to be
someone people want to listen to—not because I shout, but because I care.”
From that day on, Ricky still had
big ideas and fun stories—but he also had something more:
He had manners.
He had patience.
He had respect.
And because of that, he had true
friends.
Moral
Poem to End the Story:
Wait your turn, and let others
speak,
Kindness and respect are never weak.
Use your words with care and grace—
And you’ll bring smiles to every face!
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