Star's Muddy Race
Once upon a time, Star the horse invited all her farmyard friends to race across the big meadow to the old oak tree. "Ready, set, go!" she called, and everyone dashed off - a bouncy rabbit, a waddling duck, and a slow little tortoise trailing far behind. Star galloped ahead easily, but when she glanced back, she noticed the little tortoise had gotten stuck in a patch of soft, sticky mud. The rabbit and the duck were too far ahead to notice, racing eagerly toward the finish line. Star turned around and trotted back through the mud to where the tortoise was waiting. "Climb up here with me," Star said gently, lowering herself so the tortoise could hop onto her back. Together, they trotted the rest of the way, the tortoise holding on tight and giggling at the bumpy ride. When they crossed the finish line together, the rabbit and duck, who had arrived first, cheered just as loudly for Star and the tortoise as they had for themselves. "It is not just about who finishes first," Star said, nuzzling the tortoise kindly. "It is about making sure everyone finishes together." From that day on, every race in the meadow ended the same joyful way - with all four friends crossing the line side by side.