Barnaby was a little cheese wheel, but he wasn't like the other cheese wheels at Farmer Giles’ farm. They were all perfectly round and rolled beautifully down the hill to the market. Barnaby, however, was a little…wobbly. One side was flatter than the other, and he mostly tumbled instead of rolled. He felt very sad about it.
Every morning, the other cheese wheels would practice rolling. ‘Look at Barnaby go!’ they’d giggle, as he bounced and bumped along. Barnaby tried so hard, but he just couldn’t get the hang of it. He wished he could be round like them. He hid behind a stack of hay bales, feeling glum.
Old Man Cheddar, the wisest cheese wheel on the farm, noticed Barnaby hiding. He slowly rolled over to him. ‘What’s troubling you, little one?’ he asked kindly. Barnaby explained how he couldn’t roll properly and how the other cheese wheels teased him.
Old Man Cheddar chuckled. ‘Barnaby,’ he said, ‘being different isn’t a bad thing! You might not roll like the others, but you have a special bounce! And sometimes, it’s okay to ask for help.’ He suggested Barnaby ask Millie the Mouse, who was very good at finding smooth paths.
Barnaby was nervous, but he knew Old Man Cheddar was right. He found Millie nibbling on a sunflower seed. ‘Millie,’ he squeaked, ‘could you…could you help me find a smoother path to practice rolling?’ Millie happily agreed. She scurried ahead, pointing out the flattest parts of the field.
With Millie’s help, Barnaby discovered he could tumble *and* bounce his way down the hill! It wasn’t rolling, but it was fast and fun! The other cheese wheels stopped giggling and stared. ‘Wow, Barnaby, that’s amazing!’ exclaimed Penelope, a particularly round cheese wheel.
‘It’s a different way to get to the market,’ Barnaby said, feeling proud. ‘But it works for me!’ Soon, all the cheese wheels were trying to tumble and bounce, and they realized it was a fun way to travel, even if they *could* roll perfectly. They all played together, laughing and bouncing down the hill.
Barnaby learned that day that being different was wonderful, and that asking for help wasn’t a sign of weakness, but a sign of bravery. And as he bounced happily towards the market with his new friends, he knew he was the perfect cheese wheel, just the way he was.