Once upon a time, in a faraway land, there lived a group of animals who all had very different personalities. There was Independent the cat, who loved to do things all by herself and never asked for help from anyone. Honest the dog was always truthful, and you could always count on him to tell you the truth, no matter how harsh it was. Gentle the rabbit was just that, gentle and kind, always thinking of others before himself. Graceful the deer was beautiful to watch as she glided through the forest, her movements were so smooth and effortless. Impulsive the squirrel was always doing something on a whim, never thinking things through before acting.

Heartless the fox was cruel and mean, he loved to make others unhappy and never showed any compassion for anyone. Happy the bear was just the opposite, always cheerful and spreading joy wherever he went. Humble the horse was modest and never bragged about his accomplishments. Humane the wolf was always treating others with kindness and fairness, always putting others before himself. Grim the crow was always in a bad mood, grumpy and grouchy all the time. Finally, there was Helpful the beaver, always willing to lend a hand and help out whenever needed.

One day, all the animals gathered together to have a picnic in the forest. They spread out a big blanket and started to enjoy the food and each other's company. Suddenly, they heard a loud noise coming from the bushes. They all froze, wondering what could be making such a racket. Out popped Independent the cat, who had gotten herself stuck in a tree and needed help to get down. All the animals rushed over to see what was going on. Impulsive the squirrel started to climb up the tree to help Independent, but she was too impulsive and ended up getting stuck as well.

The rest of the animals were at a loss as to what to do, until Helpful the beaver stepped up. "Don't worry, I'll help," he said as he started to gnaw on the tree with his sharp teeth. Before long, Independent and Impulsive were safely back on the ground. Everyone breathed a sigh of relief and Happy the bear even gave Helpful a big hug for his bravery.

From that day on, all the animals learned an important lesson. No matter what their personality, they could all come together and work as a team when needed. And, even Grim the crow couldn't help but crack a smile at the sight of all the animals working together. The end.

Reflections

1. Who was Independent the cat, and why did she need help in the story?
2. Who stepped up to help Independent and Impulsive when they got stuck in the tree?
3. How did all the animals come together and work as a team in the end?
4. Who was the most helpful animal in the story, and why?
5. Who was Heartless the fox, and why was he called that?
6. What did all the animals learn from their picnic in the forest?
7. Can you think of a time when you had to work with others to solve a problem?
8. What qualities do you think are important to have when working as a team?
9. Who was your favorite animal in the story, and why?
10. Do you think it's important to treat others with kindness and fairness, like Humane the wolf did in the story? Why or why not?