Freddy was a little green frog who lived in a big, lily pad-covered pond. He loved to listen to the other frogs sing their croaky songs, especially at night. But Freddy was very, very shy. He wanted to sing too, but whenever he opened his mouth, only a tiny squeak came out!
He tried and tried. He puffed out his chest, he wiggled his toes, he even closed his eyes really tight. But still, just a squeak. The other frogs didn’t mean to, but sometimes they would giggle. Freddy would hide under a big lily pad, feeling sad.
One evening, Old Man Tiber, the wisest frog in the pond, hopped over to Freddy. “What troubles you, little one?” he asked kindly. Freddy explained about his squeaky voice and how he wanted to sing like the others.
Old Man Tiber smiled. “Singing isn’t about being the loudest, Freddy. It’s about singing from your heart. And sometimes, it takes a little courage to let your heart be heard.” He suggested Freddy practice singing to the fireflies. “They are gentle listeners,” he said.
Freddy was nervous, but he decided to try. He found a quiet spot near the reeds and began to squeak. The fireflies blinked their lights, not with laughter, but with encouragement! He squeaked again, and again, and slowly, with each try, his squeak grew a little stronger.
A little firefly named Flicker zipped closer. “That’s a lovely sound!” she blinked. “It’s different, but it’s beautiful.” Freddy felt a warm glow inside. He wasn’t trying to sound like the other frogs anymore; he was just being himself.
The next night, during the pond’s nightly chorus, Freddy took a deep breath. He closed his eyes and let out a squeaky, but confident, croak. It wasn’t loud, but it was *his* sound. And to his surprise, the other frogs didn’t giggle. They welcomed his unique voice into their song!
Freddy sang and sang, feeling happier than he ever had before. He learned that it wasn’t about having a perfect voice, but about having the courage to share your voice with the world. And even a little squeak can be a beautiful part of a big, wonderful song. From that day on, Freddy the frog sang with joy, knowing that being himself was the best song of all.