Once upon a time, in a sunny meadow, there lived a little tortoise named Timmy. He had two siblings, Johnny and Sally. One morning, their mother fell ill, and Timmy overheard Johnny and Sally talking about how they needed to cross the river to get the special herbs that could heal her.
“I wish I could help,” thought Timmy, but the thought of crossing the wide, scary river filled him with dread.
“Timmy,” said Johnny, noticing his brother’s worry, “you should come with us to get the herbs. Mother really needs them.”
“But… but… what if I fall in?” Timmy replied, trembling at the thought.
“You can hold on to my tail and I will swim across with you,” Johnny reassured him.
As they reached the riverbank, Timmy felt his heart pounding. The water was flowing swiftly, and on the other side, the herbs they needed waved gently in the breeze.
“Come on, Timmy,” said Sally excitedly, “we need to hurry.”
Timmy took a deep breath and waddled toward the river. Papa Tortoise, who had been resting nearby, saw Timmy’s worried face and came over.
“What’s wrong, little one?” he asked.
“Oh, Papa, I’m scared to cross the river. I want to get the herbs for Mother, but I might fall in!” Timmy explained, his voice shaking.
Papa Tortoise smiled kindly and said, “Remember, Timmy, even the mightiest river can be crossed if you are determined. And with the support of your family, you can overcome your fears.”
Timmy nodded, feeling a little braver as his siblings joined him. He grabbed Johnny’s tail as tightly as he could, and slowly and carefully, they started to cross the river.
It was a bumpy ride, and there were times when Timmy thought he might slip off. But Johnny kept paddling strongly, and soon they reached the other side. Timmy quickly picked the herbs they needed and hopped back on Johnny’s tail.
On their way back, the three tortoises sang a happy song. When they reached home, Timmy proudly presented the herbs to their mother, who was overjoyed to see them.
“You did it, Timmy!” cheered Sally, hugging him tightly.
Timmy smiled brightly and replied, “I couldn’t have done it without all of you cheering me on.”
And from that day on, Timmy was never afraid to cross the river again, knowing that with family by his side, he could brave any storm.