Johnny and the Wiggly Worm

Johnny loved the playground more than anything. It was his kingdom of fun! The sun felt warm on his cheeks as he zipped down the super-slippery slide. He soared so high on the swings that his toes could almost touch the clouds. His favorite was the bouncy bridge that went *boing-boing-boing* with every jump. Johnny had tried everything, and he was the expert of all things fun.

But one sunny afternoon, Johnny saw something new. Standing tall and colorful was a climber that looked like a giant caterpillar. It was the Wiggly Worm! It twisted and turned all the way to the sky, higher than anything else. Johnny, who loved new things, felt a thrill... but also a tiny, fluttery feeling in his tummy. It looked a little wobbly.

Taking a brave breath, Johnny marched over. He placed his foot on the first green step. *Wobble, wobble.* He grabbed the side and pulled himself up to the next orange step. *Wobble, wobble.* He looked down, and the ground suddenly seemed very far away. His tummy did a flip-flop, and his hands felt sweaty. He was stuck, frozen by the wiggle and the wobble.

Just then, he heard his friend Maya call from below. "Don't look down, Johnny! Just look at the next color!" Johnny remembered why he loved trying new things: for the feeling of being brave! He stopped looking at the ground and looked right at the bright yellow step above him. "Yellow step," he whispered, and he climbed. "Blue step," he said a little louder, and he climbed again. With each step, the *wobble, wobble* felt less scary and more like a fun dance, until he reached the very top!

With a happy shout, Johnny zipped down the twisty slide at the end and landed softly in the sand. He wasn't scared anymore; he was proud! The Wiggly Worm was his new favorite. He and Maya climbed it again and again, proving that sometimes the scariest-looking things turn out to be the most wonderful adventures of all.