The quietest whale
Willa loved the reef’s morning choir. The tiny fish went pip-pip-pip. The seahorses clicked. Even the crabs made a cheerful clatter.
When Willa joined in, her enormous WOOOO sent everyone’s hats floating away. “Sorry,” she whispered, which still sounded rather loud.
She swam to a quiet cove and wished on a starfish. “I wish I had a small voice.” The starfish wiggled one arm. “Have you tried listening to your big one?”
A song in the deep
That afternoon, a thick sea mist covered the water. A little turtle named Tuck could not find the reef. He swam in a circle. Then another.
The fish called pip-pip-pip, but their voices did not reach him. Willa took a breath. She sang one long, low note that rolled through the water like a ribbon.
Far away, Tuck lifted his head. He knew that sound! He followed the song around a rock, past the kelp, and straight into his friends.
Room for every voice
The next morning, the choir made room for Willa. Her deep notes rumbled underneath the little pips and clicks. Together, they sounded like the whole ocean waking up.
“Your voice is enormous,” Tuck said. Willa looked down. “I know.” “Good,” he said. “I might get lost again.”
Willa laughed her biggest laugh. This time, everyone held on to their hats. And nobody asked her to be smaller.
A little thought to take with you
What is something that makes you wonderfully different?