Bailey the Bunny Tries Something New - A Children's Story

Bailey the Bunny Tries Something New

By Bill Conley
America’s Favorite Children’s Storyteller

Moral of the Story:

It’s normal to feel scared when you try something new, but fear doesn’t mean stop; it means go forward carefully. Courage is what happens when you move ahead even though your heart feels nervous. You don’t have to be the best; you just have to take the first step and do your best. Every time you try, your confidence grows, and trying again becomes easier. The greatest adventures in life begin with “I’ll try,” not “I can’t.” Even if you stumble, you’re still moving forward, and that’s what matters most. Believe in yourself, because every brave person once started where you are, unsure, but willing. You’ll never know how amazing you can be until you take that first hop toward your dream.

In a sunny meadow surrounded by tall grass and dandelions lived a small brown bunny named Bailey. Bailey was cheerful and kind, but she had one big problem: she was afraid to try new things.

If something looked too hard, too scary, or too different, Bailey would twitch her nose and say, “No thank you.”

When the other bunnies learned to hop over the big log, Bailey stayed behind.
When they played bunny-ball by the pond, Bailey said, “Maybe next time.”
And when the Spring Festival came and all the animals practiced for the meadow race, Bailey hid behind a bush, hoping no one would notice she wasn’t running.

“Bailey!” called her best friend, Freddie the Fox, one morning. “Come practice for the big race! Everyone’s getting ready!”

Bailey’s ears drooped. “Oh, I don’t think I can,” she said. “I’ll probably trip. Or run too slow. Or… look silly.”

Freddie smiled kindly. “You won’t look silly! Everyone starts somewhere.”

But Bailey wasn’t convinced. “You don’t understand,” she whispered. “What if everyone laughs?”

Just then, Grandma Turtle slowly made her way through the meadow, her shell glinting in the sunlight. She had overheard their conversation. “Bailey,” she said gently, “I used to feel just like you.”

“You?” Bailey blinked. “But you’re so wise! You always seem so calm.”

Grandma Turtle chuckled. “Oh, I wasn’t always calm. When I was a young turtle, I was scared to swim. I thought I’d sink! I was so afraid of failing that I stayed on the shore and watched everyone else have fun.”

“So what changed?” Bailey asked.

“One day, a friend said something that I never forgot,” Grandma Turtle replied. “She said, ‘You don’t have to do it perfectly; you just have to start.’ So I took one step into the water, then another. My heart was pounding, but guess what?”

“What?” Bailey asked eagerly.

“I floated! Then I swam! And I realized that trying is how we learn and how we grow.”

Bailey thought hard about this. That night, she couldn’t sleep. She looked up at the stars and whispered, “Maybe I can try, just one hop.”

The next morning, when Freddie invited her again, Bailey took a deep breath and said, “Okay… I’ll try.”

At first, she felt nervous. Her paws trembled, and her tummy felt funny. But she remembered Grandma Turtle’s words: You don’t have to do it perfectly; you just have to start.

So she took one small hop over a tiny stick.

Then another hop over a pebble.

Then a bigger hop over a flower.

“Bailey!” Freddie cheered. “You’re doing it!”

Bailey smiled for the first time in a long time. “I guess… I am!”

Each day, Bailey practiced hopping a little higher, a little faster, and a little farther. She still felt nervous sometimes, but her courage grew with every try.

Finally, the day of the meadow race arrived. The air buzzed with excitement. The animals lined up at the starting line, with rabbits, squirrels, hedgehogs, and even little birds cheering from the branches.

Freddie nudged her gently. “Are you ready?”

Bailey took a deep breath. “Not really,” she admitted. “But I’m going to do it anyway.”

Grandma Turtle smiled from the sidelines. “That’s the spirit, dear. The bravest hearts beat fastest before the race begins.”

When the whistle blew, Bailey hopped as fast as her little legs could go. Her ears flopped, her heart pounded, and for a moment she thought she might fall. But she didn’t stop; she just kept hopping.

She didn’t win the race, but she crossed the finish line smiling, proud, and full of joy.

Freddie ran over and hugged her. “You did it, Bailey! You finished!”

Bailey beamed. “I was scared, but I did it anyway.”

And from that day on, whenever fear tried to whisper, You can’t, Bailey would whisper back, Watch me.

She still stumbled sometimes. She still got nervous. But she learned something far more important than winning a race; she learned that courage grows every time you begin.

Poem:

When something feels too big to do,
Just take one step; that’s all for you.
Don’t fear the fall, or trip, or start.
Bravery lives inside your heart.
Each try will make you stronger still.
Each climb will grow your strength and will.
Don’t wait to feel all courage through
The bravest thing is to begin with you.

Questions for Discussion:

1.     What is something new you’ve wanted to try but felt afraid to start?

2.     How did Bailey find the courage to try, even when she was scared?

3.     What can you say to yourself the next time fear tells you, “You can’t”?