Once upon a time, in a land far away,
There were ten little words that loved to play.
Gentle, grouchy, graceful, and happy too,
Honest, helpful, humane, grim, humble, and heartless too.

Gentle was a lamb, with soft and fluffy wool,
She loved to play in fields, so bright and beautiful.
Grouchy was a bear, who always frowned and grumbled,
But deep down inside, he was kind and never stumbled.

Graceful was a swan, who glided through the lake,
She was so elegant, no mistake to make.
Happy was a rabbit, who hopped with glee,
He loved to play in the grass, so wild and free.

Honest was a squirrel, who never told a lie,
He always spoke the truth, never asking why.
Helpful was a mouse, who lent a helping hand,
To all the little creatures, throughout the land.

Humane was a deer, with a heart so kind,
She always treated others, with love and peace of mind.
Grim was a wolf, with a fierce and scary growl,
But deep down inside, he had a gentle soul.

Humble was a bee, who buzzed from flower to flower,
She knew her place in the world, never seeking power.
Heartless was a rock, with no love to give,
But even rocks can change, and learn to love and live.

So let us all remember, these ten little friends,
And be like them, until the very end.
For if we are gentle, and honest too,
We can be happy, and help others too.

Reflections

1. Which of the ten little words/animals did you like the most, and why?
2. How did the character traits that each animal embodied impact the story's message?
3. How did the poem make you feel, and why?
4. Can you think of any examples of times when you showed one of these ten character traits?
5. How might the world be different if everyone practiced these ten character traits in their everyday lives?