Wendy the Wolf Learns to Try - A Children's Story

 

Wendy the Wolf Learns to Try

By Bill Conley
America’s Favorite Children’s Storyteller

Moral of the Story:

You’ll never know what you can do until you try. Even the most talented heart stays silent if it never begins. Greatness doesn’t come from comfort; it comes from courage. Saying “no” closes doors; saying “I’ll try” opens them wide. Trying may lead to failure at first, but quitting leads nowhere at all. Each small effort brings strength, skill, and self-belief. Winners aren’t born; they’re made through effort, patience, and practice. Every dream begins with one brave word: “Yes.”

In the bright valley of Maplewood lived a young wolf named Wendy. She had sharp eyes, quick paws, and a big, beautiful brain. Everyone said she could do anything she set her mind to. But there was just one problem: Wendy never set her mind to anything.

Her mom would say, “Wendy, want to try soccer? You’d be great at running and kicking!”
Wendy shrugged. “Nah. I won’t like it.”

Her dad would say, “How about piano lessons? You’ve got music in your heart.”
Wendy shook her head. “Too much work.”

Then her grandma offered, “Would you like to learn to paint?”
“No thanks,” Wendy sighed. “I’ll just mess it up.”

No matter what anyone suggested, volleyball, singing, cooking, hiking—the answer was always the same.
“I don’t want to.”
“I’m not good at that.”
“I won’t like it.”

Her parents were patient, but they were starting to worry.
“She’s so smart,” said her mom. “So talented, but she won’t even try!”
Her dad sighed. “Maybe she’s afraid to fail.”

And in truth, Wendy was afraid.
She didn’t want to look silly or make mistakes. She didn’t want to be bad at something new. So she just stayed safe at home, curled up on the couch, watching everyone else live their lives.

One cold afternoon, her mom said gently, “Wendy, would you like to come ice skating with us today?”
Wendy opened her mouth to say no, but something stopped her. Maybe it was the sparkle of snow through the window. Maybe it was how excited her parents looked. Maybe, just maybe, she was tired of saying no.

“Okay,” she said quietly. “I’ll give it a try.”

Her parents froze in surprise. “You will?”
Wendy nodded. “Just once.”

At the rink, Wendy laced up her skates, wobbling like a newborn deer. The ice looked cold and slippery. Her stomach fluttered.
“What if I fall?” she asked.
Her dad smiled. “Then you’ll get back up.”
Her mom added, “Falling is how we learn to balance.”

Taking a deep breath, Wendy stepped onto the ice, and immediately, whoosh! down she went.
Her legs flew one way, her arms another. SPLAT!

A little fox skated by and giggled kindly. “Don’t worry! We all start that way.”
Wendy’s cheeks burned red, but she smiled back. “I’ll try again.”

She stood, wobbled, and took a few tiny steps. Then she fell again.
And again.
And again.

By the tenth fall, she laughed so hard her parents laughed too.
“Looks like you’re getting good at falling!” her dad joked.
“Yeah,” Wendy said proudly, “and I’m getting better at getting up!”

Day after day, Wendy returned to the rink. She practiced after school, after dinner, even on weekends. Her knees were bruised, her muscles ached, but she kept going.

After a few weeks, she could glide from one side of the rink to the other without falling.
After a few months, she could spin, twirl, and stop gracefully.
After a year, she entered her first skating show, and though she stumbled once, she finished strong.

The crowd clapped. Wendy’s parents stood tall, beaming with pride.
Her mom called out, “That’s our girl, the one who tried!”

Afterward, Wendy grinned. “I can’t believe I almost didn’t come that day.”
Her dad smiled. “Sometimes your greatest moments hide behind the word no. You just have to open the door and step through.”

From that day on, Wendy said yes a lot more often. She tried baking cookies (though the first batch was more like bricks). She tried painting (and covered herself in blue paint). She tried tennis, guitar, and even acting in a play. Some things she liked, others she didn’t, but she never stopped trying.

And the funny thing was, each new try made her braver.

Whenever a classmate said, “I’m not good at that,” Wendy smiled and replied,
“You don’t have to be good; you just have to start.”

Because Wendy the Wolf had learned one of life’s greatest lessons:
Quitters never win, and winners never quit.
And she would never, ever forget the day she said yes.

Poem:

If you never try, you’ll never see.
The magic of who you’re meant to be.
Fear says “don’t,” but courage says “do.”
And every new start brings a better you.
Winners are dreamers who dare to begin.
They lose, they learn, they rise, and they win.
The bravest word beneath the sky,
It is simple, small, and strong. “I’ll try.”

Discussion Questions:

1.     Why do you think Wendy said no to everything at first?

2.     What happened when she finally said yes and tried something new?

3.     What is one new thing you’d like to try, even if it feels scary or difficult at first?