Ricky the Raccoon Learns About Honesty
By Bill Conley
America’s Favorite Children’s Storyteller
Moral
of the Story:
Honesty is doing the right thing,
even when no one is watching. Taking what doesn’t belong to us may seem small, but it
can make our hearts heavy. The truth always shines brighter than any shiny
object we could ever hold. Being honest helps others trust and love us more
deeply. We learn from our mistakes when we choose to make them right. Returning
what isn’t ours is a brave and important choice. True happiness doesn’t come
from things; it comes from doing what’s right. An honest heart is worth more
than anything money can buy.
On a bright Saturday morning, Ricky
the Raccoon woke up to the smell of pancakes and maple syrup drifting
through the air. His mom, Mrs. Raccoon, was packing a little shopping
basket. “Come on, Ricky,” she said cheerfully. “We need to go to the Forest
Market today.”
Ricky’s ringed tail flicked with
excitement. “Can I come too?!” he squeaked.
“Of course,” said Mrs. Raccoon.
“We’ll pick up some berries, flour, and honey for the week. Maybe you can help
me find the best ones.”
So off they went, hand in paw, down
the winding forest path toward the bustling Forest Market. All the animals were
there, Benny the Bunny selling carrots, Polly the Parrot
chattering from her fruit stand, and Ellie the Elephant offering baskets
of bright yellow lemons.
The marketplace buzzed with color
and sound. Ricky’s eyes darted from one stall to another, so many wonderful
things to see!
Then, something caught his eye.
At Mr. Otter’s Trinket Table,
a small golden whistle sparkled in the sunlight. It was the shiniest, prettiest
thing Ricky had ever seen. He could almost see his reflection in it.
“Oh, wow…” he whispered, reaching
out. “It’s so shiny. I bet I could make the best whistling sound in the whole
forest!”
He looked around. Mr. Otter was busy
helping another customer, and his mom was a few steps away choosing apples.
Without thinking, Ricky slipped the whistle into his pocket.
“I’ll just borrow it for a while,”
he thought. “No one will even notice.”
But as they walked away from the
market, Ricky’s heart began to pound. It felt funny—like something heavy was
sitting right in his chest.
When they got home, Mrs. Raccoon
began unpacking their basket. “Ricky, can you hand me the honey jar?” she
asked.
Ricky froze. His paw brushed against
the shiny whistle in his pocket. It seemed to glow brighter now that it was
hidden.
“Ricky,” said his mother, tilting
her head. “What’s that in your pocket?”
Ricky’s ears drooped. Slowly, he
pulled out the golden whistle. It sparkled even more in the light of their cozy
kitchen.
“Oh, Ricky…” said Mrs. Raccoon
softly. “Where did you get that?”
“I—I just saw it at the market,”
Ricky said, his voice trembling. “It was so shiny, and I thought maybe… maybe I
could have it.”
Mrs. Raccoon knelt down and looked
into her son’s eyes. “Did we pay for it?”
Ricky shook his head.
“Then it doesn’t belong to us,” she
said gently but firmly. “You can’t just take something because you like it.
That’s not honest, sweetheart.”
Ricky’s eyes filled with tears. “I’m
sorry, Mom. I didn’t mean to steal.”
“I know you didn’t mean to,” she
said kindly. “But when we do something wrong, we must make it right. Do you
know what that means?”
Ricky nodded slowly. “It means I
have to take it back.”
“That’s right,” said Mrs. Raccoon.
“And we’ll go together.”
So, they walked back through the
forest path to the market. Ricky’s little paws felt heavy, and he kept looking
down at the whistle, which didn’t seem nearly as beautiful now.
When they reached Mr. Otter’s stand,
Ricky took a deep breath and held out the whistle. “Mr. Otter,” he said
quietly, “I took this without paying. I’m really sorry. I brought it back
because it wasn’t mine to take.”
Mr. Otter blinked in surprise, then
smiled warmly. “Ricky, thank you for being honest. That was a brave thing to
do. It takes courage to tell the truth.”
Ricky looked up, surprised. “You’re
not mad?”
Mr. Otter chuckled. “Not at all. In
fact, I’m proud of you. You made a mistake, but you fixed it. That makes you a
fine young raccoon.”
Mrs. Raccoon smiled too. “I’m proud
of you, Ricky. You did the right thing.”
As they walked home, Ricky’s heart
felt light again. The heavy feeling was gone, replaced by warmth and peace.
When they reached their burrow,
Ricky hugged his mom. “I don’t think I’ll ever take something that isn’t mine again.”
Mrs. Raccoon smiled and kissed his
head. “I believe you, my love. Remember, being honest makes your heart shine
brighter than anything gold.”
That night, Ricky dreamed of shining
stars instead of shiny whistles—and in his dream, each star glowed with honesty
and kindness.
And from that day forward, whenever
he saw something shiny, he’d smile and say, “That’s pretty, but my honesty
shines brighter.”
Poem:
The Shine Inside
A shiny toy, a golden gleam,
It sparkled brightly in my dream.
But when I took what wasn’t mine,
My heart grew heavy, lost its shine.
To tell the truth and make things
right,
Brings peace and joy, and sleep at night.
For honesty’s the truest gold,
A treasure worth far more to hold.
Questions
for Reflection:
1.
How did Ricky feel after taking the
shiny whistle?
2.
Why was it important for Ricky to
return what wasn’t his?
3.
What do you think “honesty shines
brighter than gold” means?
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