By Bill Conley
America’s Favorite Children’s Storyteller
Moral to the Story:
A kind word can brighten someone’s whole day. When we praise others, we help
them see their own goodness and worth. Lifting others up doesn’t take anything
from us—it fills our hearts, too. True friends speak words that heal,
encourage, and inspire. Every compliment is a seed that grows confidence and
joy in others. When we speak with kindness, we make the world a happier place. The
greatest beauty comes from a heart that sees the best in everyone. Encouragement
costs nothing but means everything.
In the lush green treetops of Harmony
Jungle lived a beautiful, brightly feathered parrot named Penny. Her
feathers shimmered in shades of emerald and gold, but what made Penny truly
special wasn’t her beauty; it was her heart.
Penny had a gift for words, and she
used them wisely. While other parrots squawked and chirped about themselves,
Penny used her voice to lift others up. She loved to praise her friends, notice
the good in everyone, and make others feel proud of who they were.
Each morning, as the jungle awoke to
the sound of chirping and rustling leaves, Penny flew from tree to tree, greeting her friends.
“Good morning, Toby Toucan!” she
called brightly. “Your beak shines so bright today, it could light the whole
forest!”
Toby laughed. “Aw, thanks, Penny! I
just polished it on a mango!”
Next, she swooped down to visit Lila
the Leopard, who was stretching lazily in a patch of sun. “Lila, your spots
look extra beautiful this morning! You must be the most graceful cat in all the
jungle.”
Lila purred happily. “You always
know how to make me smile, Penny.”
And then there was Benny the
Baboon, who often felt clumsy and unsure. When Penny saw him struggling to
swing across the vines, she called out, “Great job, Benny! You’re getting
stronger every day, I can see how much better you’ve gotten!”
Benny blushed under his fur.
“Really? You think so?”
“I know so!” said Penny with a wink. “Keep going!”
Soon, word spread through the
jungle, Penny’s kind words had a magical way of making everyone feel better.
She could cheer up a sad heart, calm an argument, or help a shy animal find
courage.
But not everyone understood Penny’s
secret.
One day, Grumpy Greg the Gorilla
rolled his eyes as Penny complimented a group of young monkeys who had just
learned to climb higher than ever. “All you do is talk about how great everyone
else is,” Greg said. “Don’t you ever get tired of it? You never say anything
about yourself.”
Penny smiled softly. “Oh, Greg,” she
said kindly. “When I make others feel good, it makes me feel good too.
Compliments are like sunshine; they don’t fade when you share them. They just
make everything brighter.”
Greg snorted but didn’t reply.
Still, Penny’s words stayed with him.
Later that week, a heavy rainstorm
swept through the jungle. Trees bent under the wind, and the animals huddled
together for shelter. When the storm passed, many nests were ruined, and
branches were broken. Penny quickly got to work.
She flew from tree to tree, helping
rebuild nests and cheering everyone up. “You’re doing great, Rosie Rabbit!
That’s a sturdy nest you’re making, Max Monkey, so clever!”
As she fluttered from branch to
branch, her cheerful voice lifted everyone’s spirits. Soon, laughter echoed
through the jungle again.
Even Grumpy Greg helped out, and for
the first time, he heard himself saying, “Hey, Benny, that’s a good job tying
that vine!”
Benny grinned. “Thanks, Greg! That
means a lot!”
Greg blinked in surprise. It felt…
nice.
When the last nest was rebuilt, the
animals gathered under the bright rainbow that appeared over the jungle. Toby
Toucan flapped his wings. “We couldn’t have done it without Penny!” he said.
“She made us all believe we could!”
All the animals cheered, and Penny
blushed beneath her feathers. “Oh, it wasn’t just me,” she said. “It was all of
us, working together and believing in each other. That’s the magic of
kindness.”
Grumpy Greg scratched his head.
“Penny,” he said slowly, “I think I get it now. When you speak kindly, it’s
like planting a seed that grows into something beautiful.”
Penny smiled. “Exactly, Greg. The
more kindness we plant, the more beauty we’ll see.”
From that day on, Penny wasn’t the
only one praising others. The whole jungle began sharing kind words and
encouragement. Whenever someone felt down, they could always count on a friend
to lift them up.
And though Penny never boasted about
herself, everyone knew she was the heart of the jungle, the bird who taught
them that the right words at the right time can make the world bloom with joy.
Poem:
Speak with kindness every day.
Let your words bring light to the way.
Compliments are gifts we give.
That helps each heart to bloom and live.
One kind word can heal and mend.
And turn a stranger into a friend.
So spread your love both near and far,
And show the world how kind hearts are.
Discussion Questions:
1.
How did
Penny the Parrot make her friends feel with her kind words?
2.
Why do you
think it’s important to praise others instead of focusing on ourselves?
3.
What are
some kind things you could say to make someone’s day better?
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