Lara and the Grumpy Root

Lara loved the Whispering Woods more than anything. The path wiggled like a giggle, giant mushrooms bounced when she touched them, and the air smelled like cinnamon-spiced mud pies. Lara was courageous and wasn't afraid of anything, not even the rustling sounds in the deepest, shadiest part of the woods.

One sunny afternoon, while hopping over a sparkling, giggling brook, Lara heard a tiny sound. "Sniffle... sniffle... stuck!" a small voice cried. She followed the sound and found a little gnome with a bright red hat, his foot caught under the thick, mossy root of a grumpy-looking Glimmerwood tree. The gnome looked very sad.

"Don't worry!" said courageous Lara. "I'll get you out!" She grabbed the root with both hands and pulled with all her might. "Grrr, grumble, groan!" the root seemed to say, and it squeezed even tighter! The little gnome whimpered. Lara's brave plan hadn't worked, and she felt a little bit stuck, too.

Lara looked at the grumpy root and had a new brave idea. Maybe courage wasn't about pulling, but about being kind. She gently patted the moss. "I'm sorry we bothered you, Mr. Root," she whispered. "We just want to help our friend." The root wiggled a little. Lara and the gnome began to sing a sweet, happy tune, and slowly, gently, the root uncurled. The gnome was free!

The little gnome, whose name was Pip, gave Lara a giant hug. The Glimmerwood tree rustled its leaves happily and dropped a glowing, sweet-smelling blossom right into her hair. Lara smiled. She had learned that being courageous wasn't just about being strong, it was about being brave enough to be kind. Hand in hand, she and Pip skipped all the way home, singing their happy root song.