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The Willow-Wren and the Bear

Once upon a time, in a big green forest filled with tall trees, chirping birds, and sparkling streams, lived a tiny bird called Willow-Wren. She was small, but very smart, and she lived happily with her family in a snug little nest high up in a willow tree.

One bright and sunny morning, Willow-Wren was teaching her baby birds how to fly. They flapped their wings and laughed as they soared through the air. Down below, a big, grumpy bear named Bruno was stomping through the forest. He was known for being mean and for bothering smaller animals.

Bruno looked up at Willow-Wren and snorted. “Ha! What a tiny, useless bird you are. You can’t even protect your family!”

Willow-Wren stood tall on her branch and chirped back, “Being big isn’t everything, Bruno. Sometimes being smart and working together is better.”

Bruno huffed and said, “Let’s see about that. I challenge you to a contest! Let’s both collect as much food as we can before the sun sets. But you can only get help from your family!”

Willow-Wren nodded bravely. “Alright, it’s a deal.”

Bruno stomped away to look for berries and honey. He used his strong paws to shake trees and dig up big piles of food. Meanwhile, Willow-Wren flew back to her nest.

She called her little ones and explained the challenge. “We may be small, but we’re clever. I’ll look for insects, and each of you can bring back seeds, berries, and tiny fruits. If we all work together, we can do this!”

The baby birds chirped excitedly and zoomed off in all directions. They searched carefully, picking only the freshest and tastiest food. Willow-Wren flitted from branch to branch, gathering bugs and sweet berries.

As the sun dipped low in the sky, Bruno came back first, huffing and puffing. He dropped a huge pile of food on the ground. “Beat that!” he said with a grin.

Willow-Wren and her little birds returned too. Their pile was smaller, but full of all sorts of things—bright red berries, crunchy seeds, yummy bugs, and tiny wild fruits—all neatly arranged.

The animals of the forest gathered to watch. A wise old owl named Oliver flew down to be the judge.

Oliver looked closely at both piles. “Hmm,” he said, blinking his big eyes. “Bruno, you have a big pile, but most of it is just berries and honey. Some of it’s even squashed!”

Then he turned to Willow-Wren’s pile. “This food may be smaller in size, but it has many kinds of healthy treats. It was gathered with care and teamwork.”

Oliver smiled and said, “The winners are Willow-Wren and her family!”

The animals cheered and clapped their paws and wings. Bruno looked surprised. Then he looked down at his crushed food and sighed.

“I guess I was wrong,” he said. “You showed me that being smart and helping each other matters more than being strong alone.”

From that day on, Bruno stopped being a bully. He became a friend to the smaller animals and used his strength to help when they needed him.

And Willow-Wren and her family? They kept living happily in their cozy tree, proud of what they had done and the lesson they had taught the forest.

The End

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Follow-Up Questions:

• Why did Bruno think he would win the contest?
• How did Willow-Wren and her family collect their food?
• What did Bruno learn about strength and teamwork?