Barnaby was a very small bird with very bright blue feathers. He lived in a cozy nest high up in an old oak tree with his mama and papa bird, and his two sisters. Barnaby loved his nest, but he had a secret: he was afraid to fly! All his sisters zoomed and swooped, practicing their loops and dives, but Barnaby would just peek over the edge and wobble.
“It’s too high!” he’d chirp. “What if I fall?” His mama would gently nudge him with her wing. “Everyone feels a little scared, Barnaby. But you have strong wings, and we’ll be right here.” But Barnaby still felt wobbly inside.
One sunny morning, Barnaby’s sister, Beatrice, was collecting berries for breakfast. She flew to a branch laden with juicy red berries, but a gust of wind blew the branch… and Beatrice’s berry basket! It tumbled down, down, down towards the forest floor.
Beatrice chirped in distress! Barnaby knew he had to do something. He closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and jumped! He flapped his wings as hard as he could. At first, he just tumbled a little, but then… he felt it! He was flying!
It wasn’t perfect. He wobbled and dipped, but he was *flying*! He swooped down and, with a little effort, caught Beatrice’s berry basket just before it hit the ground. Beatrice chirped with delight. “Barnaby, you saved my berries! And you flew!”
Barnaby landed, a little breathless, but beaming. He hadn’t fallen! He had flown! His mama and papa bird chirped with pride. “We knew you could do it, Barnaby!” said his papa.
From that day on, Barnaby wasn’t afraid to fly anymore. He practiced every day, getting stronger and more confident with each flap of his wings. He learned that even when things feel scary, taking a deep breath and trying your best can lead to wonderful things. And he learned that helping a friend is the bravest thing of all.
As the sun began to set, Barnaby snuggled close to his mama in their cozy nest. He looked out at the twinkling stars and smiled. He was a brave little bird, and he was finally soaring.