Once upon a time, there was a varsity team of ants who were the most self-assured and confident insects in the forest. They competed with other teams in various sports, and were always determined to break the record in every game.

One day, a recruiter came to their colony, looking for the best athletes to join a forest-wide competition. The ants were more than excited and couldn't wait to tackle the competition.

However, one ant named Max was reluctant to join. He was afraid that he wouldn't be able to live up to the team's expectations and was worried about his temper getting the best of him. The other ants tried to remind him of his incredible abilities and encouraged him to give it a try.

On the day of the competition, Max was about to step up to the starting line when a loud interruption came from the audience. It was a group of noisy crickets who were trying to attract attention to themselves. The ants were taken aback, and Max was starting to lose his temper.

Just when everyone thought the competition was about to end in a disaster, Max had a brilliant idea. He asked the other ants to retreat, and when the crickets saw that their distraction wasn't working, they became quiet. Max then took advantage of the silence and ran the fastest race of his life, breaking the record and winning the competition for his team.

The ants were over the moon, and Max was finally able to prove to himself and everyone else that he was a true champion. From that day on, he was no longer reluctant and was filled with self-assurance and confidence. And the crickets learned to never interrupt a varsity ant race again!

Reflections

1. What made Max feel reluctant about joining the competition?
2. How did Max handle the interruption during the race?
3. Why do you think Max changed his mind about competing?
4. What did the other ants do to encourage Max to join the competition?
5. How did Max's self-assurance and confidence change throughout the story?
6. What did the crickets learn from their actions during the race?