By Bill Conley
America’s Favorite Children’s Storyteller
Moral
of the Story:
It’s normal to feel scared before
trying something new. Courage means doing it anyway, even when your tummy feels
funny. When you face your fears, you find the magic waiting behind them. Every
new adventure begins with a single brave step, or takeoff! You can’t see how
beautiful the world is until you lift your eyes above the clouds. With love,
patience, and faith, fear turns into wonder. Sometimes the things that scare us
most become our favorite memories. The bravest hearts are the ones that fly,
even when they’re afraid.
In a small clearing at the edge of
Maplewood Forest lived a bright-eyed puppy named Penny.
Penny loved playing fetch, rolling in the grass, and chasing butterflies, but
she didn’t like change. She liked knowing what was next and where she would be.
One morning, her parents sat her
down after breakfast.
“Penny,” said Mom with a smile, “we have wonderful news! We’re going to visit
Grandma and Grandpa in Sunny Ridge Forest!”
Penny wagged her tail. “Really? I
love Grandma and Grandpa! When are we going?”
Dad grinned. “This weekend! And
guess what? We’re taking an airplane!”
Penny froze mid-tail-wag. “A… what?”
Mom chuckled. “An airplane! It’s
like a big flying bus that takes us high above the clouds!”
Penny’s ears drooped. “High above
the clouds?” She gulped. “That sounds scary! What if it falls? What if
my ears pop? What if I can’t breathe up there?”
Dad leaned down and patted her paw.
“Sweetheart, airplanes are very safe. And Mom and I will be right next to you
the whole time.”
Mom added, “And when we land,
Grandma and Grandpa will be waiting with hugs and cookies!”
That made Penny feel a little
better, but still, her tummy felt twisty.
The night before the trip, she could
barely sleep. She packed her favorite toy bone, her coloring book, and a little
blanket Grandma had knitted for her. She whispered to herself, “I can do this.
I can do this.”
At the airport, Penny’s eyes grew
wide. Everything was so big! There were bright lights, long hallways,
and people rolling shiny suitcases everywhere.
“Stay close,” said Mom, holding her
paw. “We’ll go through security, find our seats, and then the adventure
begins.”
Penny nodded nervously, clutching
her blanket. When they reached the gate, she saw their airplane waiting
outside—massive, silver, and gleaming in the sunlight.
“It looks like a giant bird!”
she gasped.
Dad laughed. “That’s exactly what it
is, a bird for people!”
But when it was time to board,
Penny’s paws felt heavy. “I don’t know if I can,” she whispered.
Mom knelt down and said softly,
“Courage doesn’t mean you’re not scared, sweetheart. It means you keep going,
even when you are.”
Penny took a deep breath and stepped
onto the airplane.
Inside, she saw rows of soft seats
and smiling passengers. A kind flight attendant greeted them. “Hello there,
little traveler! Is this your first flight?”
Penny nodded. “Yes, and I’m kind of
scared.”
The attendant smiled warmly. “That’s
okay! Even brave explorers feel nervous sometimes. But guess what? You’re about
to see the clouds up close!”
Penny’s eyes widened. “Really?”
Mom and Dad helped her into her seat
by the window. She peeked outside and saw workers loading luggage, trucks
buzzing, and planes rolling by.
As the engines began to roar,
Penny’s paws gripped her blanket. “Mom! Dad! It’s so loud!”
Mom took her paw. “Just hold on
tight. The noise means we’re getting ready to fly!”
The plane began to move. Penny’s
heart pounded. “It’s going so fast!” she cried.
“Look out the window!” Dad said.
Penny did and gasped.
The ground was getting smaller and
smaller. Trees turned into little green dots. Roads twisted like ribbons. The
houses looked like tiny toys.
“Mom! Dad! We’re flying!” she
exclaimed, eyes wide with wonder.
Her parents smiled. “See? You’re
doing great!”
As the plane rose above the clouds,
Penny pressed her nose against the window. “It’s like a big fluffy blanket down
there! Look, there’s the sun!”
Mom smiled. “You’re higher than the
birds now, sweetheart.”
After a while, Penny began to relax.
She colored pictures, played with her toy bone, and watched the clouds drift
by. The flight attendant even brought her a little cookie shaped like a heart.
When they started to land, she
didn’t feel scared at all. She looked out the window and said proudly, “We’re
going down now, but we’ll be up again someday!”
The airplane touched down smoothly,
and Penny clapped her paws. “We did it! We flew!”
As they walked through the airport
at Sunny Ridge, Penny spotted two familiar faces waving from afar.
“Grandma! Grandpa!” She barked
happily, running toward them.
They scooped her up in a big hug.
“There’s our brave little flyer!” Grandma said. “We’re so proud of you!”
That night, after a warm dinner and
lots of stories, Penny told Grandma and Grandpa all about her first flight.
“The airplane went whoosh,
and then we were above the clouds! And everything looked so tiny, and the sky
was so big! I was scared at first, but then I loved it!”
Grandpa chuckled. “That’s how
courage works, Penny. It starts as fear and ends as joy.”
When it was time for bed, Penny
curled up in her blanket, smiling. “I can’t wait to fly again someday.”
Mom and Dad kissed her goodnight.
“You were so brave today,” said Mom.
“And now you know,” added Dad, “the
sky isn’t something to fear; it’s something to enjoy.”
As Penny drifted off to sleep, she
dreamed of floating among the clouds, free, fearless, and full of wonder.
Poem:
When fear feels big and dreams seem
far,
Remember how brave you truly are.
The sky is wide, the clouds are bright,
And courage lifts you into flight.
Each fear you face, each step you take,
Bring new adventures you can make.
So spread your wings and don’t be shy,
The world is waiting in the sky.
Questions
for Discussion:
1.
Why was Penny scared to get on the
airplane at first?
2.
What helped her feel brave during
the flight?
3.
How did Penny feel when she saw
Grandma and Grandpa at the end of the trip?
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