The Bravest Words

Deep in the heart of the forest lived a little hedgehog named Chestnut. Lately, Chestnut had learned to do so many new things. He could put on his own shoes, brush his own teeth, and even button up his little sweater all by himself.

His absolute favorite thing to say was, "I can do it myself!"

One day, a crisp autumn breeze gently blew through the trees, rustling the bright, golden-yellow leaves. Chestnut decided to go on an adventure in the woods. As he toddled along, his eyes suddenly lit up.

Wow! Sitting right there beneath an old oak tree was a giant apple. It was so round, so red, and it smelled so sweet! It might just have been the biggest apple in the entire forest.

Chestnut thought to himself, "If I take this big apple home to Mama so she can bake an apple pie, she will be so happy!"

He reached out his tiny paws and gave the giant apple a push.

"Heave-ho!" The apple wiggled just a little bit, but it was oh-so-heavy.

Just then, a little squirrel peeked out from the branches above. He saw Chestnut pushing so hard that his little face was turning completely red.

The squirrel hopped down. "Hi, Chestnut! That apple looks awfully heavy. Do you need me to help you push it?"

Chestnut stopped and thought, "If I let the squirrel help me, will he think I'm weak? Will he think I'm still just a little baby?"

So, Chestnut puffed out his chest. Even though his arms were very tired, he said in a loud voice, "No, thank you! I can do it myself!"

The squirrel scratched his head. "Alright then, good luck!" he said, and scurried back up the tree.

Chestnut kept pushing. "Heave-ho! Heave-ho!"

A little while later, a big, gentle bear was walking by and saw the tiny hedgehog trying to push the giant apple.

The big bear smiled and said, "Chestnut, there's a little hill just up ahead on the path. Would you like a hand? I could push it right up with just one finger."

Chestnut puffed up all his prickles, trying to look as strong as possible. "Thank you, Mr. Bear, but I can push it up all by myself!"

The big bear nodded and slowly lumbered away.

Chestnut pushed the apple right up to the little hill. He gave it a mighty shove, but instead of rolling up, the apple slipped! It rolled right into a muddy puddle by the side of the path and got stuck tight.

Chestnut panicked. He jumped into the mud puddle and pulled on the apple's stem, but it wouldn't budge. He got behind the apple and pushed with all his might, but it stayed perfectly still.

The sun began to set, the forest grew a little dark, and the wind turned chilly.

Chestnut was tired and hungry. Looking at the giant apple stuck in the mud, he felt so worried. His nose began to tingle, and tears welled up in his eyes.

He thought to himself, "What do I do now? I can't move it. But I just told everyone I could do it myself. If I ask for help now, they will definitely laugh at me."

He curled up into a tight little ball, feeling like a big failure.

But right then, he remembered a secret his mama had once shared with him.

Mama had said, "Chestnut, do you know what it means to be truly brave? Being brave doesn't mean you aren't afraid of anything, and it doesn't mean you have to do everything all by yourself. True bravery is speaking up and asking for help when you need it."

Chestnut wiped his tears and took a deep breath. He turned around, looked up at the squirrel in the tree, and then looked down the path at the bear, who hadn't gone too far.

His voice was a little shaky, but he gathered all his courage and called out, "Excuse me... could you please help me?"

As soon as the words left his mouth, Chestnut felt a huge weight lift off his shoulders.

"Of course we can!"

Swish! The little squirrel leaped down from the tree. Thump, thump, thump! The big bear turned around and hurried right back.

The squirrel smiled and said, "We were just waiting for you to ask! That's what friends are for—helping each other out."

The big bear reached out his wide, thick paws and gently lifted the bottom of the apple. The little squirrel tugged from the front, and Chestnut pushed from the back.

Together, they shouted, "One, two, three, PUSH!"

Pop! The giant apple rolled right out of the mud puddle and easily went up the hill.

That night, the most wonderful, sweet smell drifted out of Chestnut's house. Mama Hedgehog had baked a super-sized apple pie and invited the squirrel and the bear to join them.

As Chestnut ate his warm apple pie, his tummy felt warm, and his heart felt warm, too. Looking at the happy smiles of his friends, he suddenly understood. Asking for help isn't scary at all, and it doesn't make anyone think you're a baby.

Mama gently patted Chestnut's head and asked, "That apple was so heavy! How did you ever bring it all the way home?"

Chestnut said loudly and proudly, "My friends and I brought it home together! I was brave and asked them for help!"

Mama smiled. "My little Chestnut has really grown up. Knowing when to ask for help when you can't do it alone is a very brave thing to do. I am so proud of you!"