Leo the lion was a very little lion. He loved to play with his mama and papa, and his best friend, Penny the penguin. But Leo had a secret. He was… shy! He didn’t like to ROAR. All the other lions roared big, booming roars. Leo’s roar was more like a squeak. He worried it wasn’t a proper lion roar.
One sunny morning, Mama Lion said, “Leo, Papa and I are going to gather berries for breakfast. Penny is coming too! You be a brave lion and practice your roar while we’re gone.” Leo’s tummy felt fluttery. Brave? He didn’t *feel* brave. He felt small and squeaky.
As soon as his parents left, Leo tried to roar. “Eek!” it came out. Penny waddled over. “That was a… quiet roar, Leo,” she said kindly. Leo’s ears drooped. “I can’t do it, Penny! I’m just not a brave lion.”
Suddenly, they heard a little chirp. A tiny bird was caught in a prickly bush! It chirped and chirped, but couldn’t get free. Leo wanted to help, but the bush looked scary. It was full of pointy thorns!
Penny tried to reach the bird, but she was too short. “Oh dear!” she cried. Leo looked at the bird, then at the prickly bush. He knew he had to try. He took a deep breath, closed his eyes, and… ROARED! It wasn’t a big, booming roar, but it was louder than his squeak. It startled the bush, and a few leaves shook loose.
The shaking leaves made a little space, and Leo carefully reached in with a paw and gently freed the bird. The bird chirped happily and flew away. Penny clapped her wings. “Leo! You did it! You were so brave!”
Leo felt a warm glow inside. He *had* been brave! He hadn’t worried about his roar being loud enough; he’d just focused on helping the bird. He tried again. “ROAR!” This time, it was a little bit louder, and a little bit stronger.
When Mama and Papa Lion returned, they heard Leo’s roar. “That’s my brave little lion!” Papa Lion boomed. Leo smiled. He learned that day that courage isn’t about having the loudest roar, it’s about doing what’s right, even when you’re a little bit scared. And sometimes, helping others helps *you* find your own roar.