Oscar the Otter Overcomes Fear
By Bill Conley
America’s Favorite Children’s Storyteller
Moral
of the Story:
Fear is a feeling that can stop us,
but courage helps us move forward. Everyone feels afraid sometimes, even the
bravest among us. When we face what scares us, our confidence begins to grow. Courage
is not the absence of fear but the strength to act despite it. When we
believe in ourselves, we discover that fear loses its power. God gives us
courage when we trust Him to guide our steps. Every time we overcome a fear, we
become stronger inside and out. Bravery begins with one small step taken with
faith instead of fear.
In the sparkling waters of Riverbend
Valley lived a young otter named Oscar. He was playful and kind, with shiny
brown fur that glistened in the sunlight. Oscar loved floating on his back,
stacking pebbles, and watching dragonflies dance above the reeds. But there was
one thing that Oscar feared more than anything else in the world—deep water.
While all the other otters raced
down the rushing river currents, Oscar stayed near the shallow edge, where the
water felt safe and calm. The other otters dove, twisted, and splashed, calling
out to him, “Come on, Oscar! The water is great!”
But Oscar would shake his head
nervously. “No, thank you. I like it right here.”
His best friend, Lily the Little
Frog, often joined him on a lily pad nearby. “Oscar,” she said one sunny
morning, “you are an otter. Otters were born to swim in the river!”
Oscar sighed. “I know, but what if I
sink? What if I get swept away and cannot find my way back?”
Lily smiled kindly. “You will never
know what you can do until you try.”
Oscar tried to smile, but his
stomach twisted just thinking about the deep water. He had seen how fast the
current moved. It looked too strong, too wild, and too scary.
One afternoon, Mrs. Otter gathered
all the young otters together for the annual River Games. There were diving
races, floating challenges, and a grand contest called The Current Glide, where
otters slid down the waterfall and rode the river waves to the finish line.
Oscar’s heart raced just hearing
about it.
“Everyone must join in,” Mrs. Otter
said cheerfully. “Even if you are scared, courage grows when you try.”
Oscar gulped. “Even me?”
Mrs. Otter nodded gently. “Especially
you.”
That night, Oscar could not sleep.
He looked up at the stars reflected in the water and whispered, “God, please
help me be brave tomorrow. I do not want to be afraid anymore.”
The next morning, the whole valley
buzzed with excitement. The sun sparkled on the water, and the otters lined up
at the top of the waterfall. Lily hopped beside Oscar, smiling. “You can do
this,” she said. “I will be waiting at the bottom.”
Oscar’s legs trembled as he stepped
to the edge. He looked down at the roaring water below. His heart pounded so
hard he could almost hear it echo.
Then he heard Mrs. Otter’s voice
behind him. “Oscar, courage is not about being fearless. It is about trusting
that you can handle what comes.”
Oscar closed his eyes, took a deep
breath, and whispered, “I trust You, God.”
And then, he jumped.
The cold water rushed over his fur.
The current carried him fast, faster than he ever imagined. For a moment, he
panicked and kicked wildly, but then he remembered to float just like he did in
the shallow pool. His body steadied. He felt the river lift him, not drag him.
The wind brushed his whiskers, and suddenly, instead of fear, he felt freedom.
When he reached the bottom, Lily was
waiting on her lily pad, clapping her little green hands. “You did it, Oscar!
You did it!”
Oscar gasped for breath but was
smiling ear to ear. “I really did! The water carried me, and I did not sink!”
The other otters cheered and
splashed around him. “That was amazing, Oscar!”
Mrs. Otter swam over and hugged him
with her flippers. “You faced your fear, and look what happened. The river you
were afraid of became your friend.”
After that day, Oscar’s fear began
to fade. He still felt nervous sometimes, but now he knew how to face it—with
courage, faith, and a deep breath. Whenever he saw a younger otter afraid to
swim, he would sit beside them and say, “I used to be scared too. But fear only
has power when you let it stop you. Take one small step and you will see how
strong you are.”
Soon, Oscar became one of the best
swimmers in the valley. He even helped Mrs. Otter teach the little ones how to
glide safely through the river. He showed them how to float, how to steer with
their tails, and how to rest calmly when the current grew strong.
One day, Lily asked, “Oscar, do you
still ever feel afraid?”
Oscar smiled. “Sometimes, yes. But
now when I do, I pray, take a deep breath, and remind myself that God is bigger
than my fear.”
The next time the River Games came
around, Oscar was the first to volunteer for The Current Glide. When he reached
the top of the waterfall, he looked back at all his friends and said, “Courage
lives inside everyone. You just have to let it speak louder than your fear.”
And then, with a joyful laugh, he
dove straight into the sparkling river below. The crowd cheered as Oscar raced
through the current with grace and confidence.
That night, as the moon rose high
above Riverbend Valley, Oscar floated quietly on his back and watched the stars
shimmer across the water. The river’s song was peaceful now, no longer
frightening. He whispered, “Thank you, God, for helping me find my courage.”
From that day on, Oscar was no
longer known as the otter who was afraid. He was remembered as the otter who
overcame fear—and who helped others do the same.
Poem:
Fear may whisper, “You cannot,”
But courage answers, “Oh yes, you can.”
Take a breath and trust your heart.
That is where brave dreams start.
The storm may roar, the river may flow,
But faith will guide you where you should go.
Each small step helps fear disappear.
And love grows stronger than your fear.
Questions
for Discussion:
1.
What was Oscar most afraid of at the
beginning of the story?
2.
How did Oscar find the courage to
overcome his fear?
3.
What fears do you want to overcome,
and how can you take one small step of courage today?
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