📖 Read & Listen Free
Once upon a time, in a deep, green forest, lived a happy little bear named Barnaby. Barnaby loved his big, strong roar. Every morning, he would wake up, stretch his fuzzy legs, and roar 'ROOOOAAAR!' at the bright sun. But one morning, something was wrong. He took a big breath, puffed out his chest, and only a tiny 'squeak' came out! His roar was gone. It was lost! Barnaby felt very, very sad. 'Oh no,' he whispered. 'I must find my roar.' He looked under a big, mossy log, but his roar was not there.
Barnaby walked sadly through the quiet forest. He saw a beautiful blue butterfly. 'Little butterfly,' Barnaby asked, 'have you seen my roar?' The butterfly just fluttered its shiny blue wings and flew away. Next, he saw Squeaky the Squirrel running up a tree. 'Squeaky!' Barnaby called. 'Did my roar run by here?' Squeaky stopped and chattered. 'A roar does not have feet, Barnaby. It cannot run. I only see nuts.' Barnaby felt even sadder. He sat down on a soft, mossy rock and whispered, 'squeak.'
Just then, a 'Whoo, whoo!' came from the tree above him. It was the Wise Old Owl, who had big, kind eyes. 'Barnaby,' the owl hooted softly, 'why are you so sad?' 'I lost my roar,' Barnaby whimpered. 'I looked for it, but it is gone forever.' The Wise Old Owl blinked slowly. 'Oh, little bear,' the owl said kindly. 'A roar is not a thing you can lose, like a stone or a nut. A roar is not in your pocket. A roar is a feeling. It comes from your heart. It comes out when your heart is happy.'
Barnaby pointed to his fuzzy chest. 'My heart?' 'Yes,' said the owl. 'Tell me, what makes your heart feel happy?' Barnaby had to think. 'Well, I love sticky, sweet honey.' He thought about honey, and he felt a tiny rumble. 'Rrr...' 'Good,' said the owl. 'I love the bright, warm sun on my nose,' Barnaby said. The rumble got a little bigger. 'Rrrr...' 'I love my soft den and all my friends!' he shouted. His heart felt so full and happy that he took a big, deep breath and... 'ROOOOAAAR!' His roar was back! It was in his happy heart all along.