Holly and the Broken Bridge
A storm washes away the only bridge. Every animal has an important job to do.
There was once a river called Bubbling River. A little wooden bridge crossed it, and every animal used it to get to the sunny meadow. Then one night, a very big storm came, and in the morning, the bridge was gone.
The animals gathered on the bank. ‘How will we cross?’ sighed Jamal. ‘It’s too wide to jump,’ said Dani. ‘And too deep to wade,’ said Aisha. Everyone was gloomy.
Holly the hedgehog thought hard. ‘We can build a new bridge,’ she said. ‘But we’ll need everybody.’ The animals looked at each other, and started to nod.
Aisha, who was the strongest, hauled big logs from the forest. Jamal, who was the nimblest, climbed up and tied them with long, strong vines. Dani dug holes for the posts.
And Holly? Holly was the smallest, but she could squeeze into tiny spaces. She wriggled between the logs to tie knots no one else could reach. Every knot counted.
By sunset, the bridge was finished. It wobbled a little at first. Then Aisha stepped on it. It held! Then Jamal, then Dani, then Holly. They all crossed, cheering.
The new bridge was stronger than the old one. And at the middle, the animals carved: ‘Built by everyone.’ It’s still there today, if you know where to look.
The little lesson
Everybody has something to give, big or small, and together it adds up.
Let’s talk about it
- What job did you think was most important?
- Think of a time you worked together with others.
Finish stories to collect Holly as a sticker in your Sticker Book.
More Animal Tales stories
Nate’s Great Picnic Chase
A big gust of wind takes the picnic away. Can the friends catch it?
Olive’s New Neighbours
Olive has to move to a new meadow and isn’t sure about it, until the neighbours come knocking.
The Shy Little duck
Dexter is so shy that he hides from everyone, until a friend needs help.
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