Once upon a time, in the jungle, there was a parrot who always wanted to be the tallest animal in the jungle. One day, he saw a giraffe and said, "If only I were as tall as you, then I would be the tallest of all!" The giraffe smiled and said, "Being tall is not everything, it's what's inside that counts."

Just then, a lion walked by and roared, "I'm the king of the jungle because I am strong and brave!" The parrot thought about this for a moment and realized that being tall wasn't important after all.

The next day, the parrot met a zebra who was running from a snake. The parrot bravely chased the snake away and the zebra thanked him. The zebra said, "You may not be tall, but you are brave and that's what really matters."

Soon after, the parrot met a little monkey who was swinging from tree to tree with ease. The monkey said, "I may not be tall, but I can climb higher than any animal in the jungle." The parrot smiled and realized that everyone has their own unique talents.

Finally, the parrot met an elephant who was big and strong, but also kind and gentle. The elephant said, "I may be big and strong, but it's important to use my strength to help others."

The parrot learned that there is no one right way to be, and that each animal in the jungle had its own special qualities. Even the polar bear, who lived far away in the Arctic, had its own special talents.

The end.

Reflections

1. What did the parrot want to be?
2. What did the giraffe tell the parrot about being tall?
3. What did the lion think was important?
4. What did the zebra tell the parrot about bravery?
5. What did the monkey tell the parrot about climbing?
6. What did the elephant tell the parrot about using strength to help others?
7. What did the parrot learn at the end of the story?