Hi my little legends.
Thank you for joining me Steph and the Storytime crew for another Storytime adventure.
Today's tale begins in the golden hush of the savannah where the grass sways like it's whispering secrets and the sun stretches itself awake across the horizon.
This is where Josephine the Jaguar lives.
Those that know her and love her call her Josie.
Josie has a sensitive heart and a gentle thoughtful way about her and her paws can move quicker than a shooting star but even the most extraordinary creatures can have wobbly days and today Josie forgets just how magical she truly is.
Luckily for her though she's got a best friend who farts glitter,
Breaks the sound barrier with her bottom burps and refuses to let Josie shrink herself for even a moment.
Yes guys is everyone's favorite unicorn Una and she is very much a big part of today's story.
So snuggle in,
Settle those wiggles,
Take a soft deep belly breath because today's story features one very sensitive very spectacular Jaguar and her slightly outrageous best friend.
Are you ready to see what happens?
All right well let's begin.
The savannah shimmered with the early sunlight.
Birds chirped soft morning songs and the warm breeze smelled like dust and honey.
Josie the Jaguar blinked herself awake.
Her whiskers twitched,
Her heart felt fluttery like she had butterflies inside who'd had too much sugar.
Josie was quite sensitive,
Sensitive to sounds,
Sensitive to energy,
Sensitive to feelings,
Sensitive to a lot.
Most days it made her extraordinary but some days it made her doubt herself.
She padded slowly down to the watering hole,
She bent down and she stared at her reflection in the water and her reflection stared back at her.
You look fine the reflection said.
I look like a confused house cat Josie muttered.
Girl what?
Said her reflection.
She might have imagined that bit,
It's hard to know.
Josie sighed deeply.
Her tail drooped.
I'm not fast,
I'm not elegant,
I'm basically a spotty house cat who overthinks things.
And that is when it happened.
From inside a nearby bush came a sound so powerful it made the birds stop mid song.
Leaves shot upwards like fireworks.
The bush wobbled,
Then outburst.
Una!
The unicorn of unpredictable bottom burps,
Mane sparkling,
Eyes wide.
Her entire vibe was chaotic goodness.
Josie!
Una hollered.
Are you doubting yourself again?
Oh right,
This calls for an emergency sparkle intervention right now.
Before Josie could protest,
Una tossed her mane and accidentally blasted a puff of glitter fart into the sky.
It drifted down with light barkley snow.
Josie coughed.
Una,
I'm trying to have a serious moment.
Una nodded solemnly.
I understand Josie,
But also that one smelled like rainbow pancakes,
Don't you think?
Josie paced.
Her paws left little anxious prints in the dirt.
I don't feel fast today,
Or brave,
Or anything a jaguar should be.
Maybe I should just,
I don't know,
Try and be something else.
Una gasped with such force she almost lifted off the ground.
No,
Absolutely not.
False.
Cancel.
Abort.
You are Josephine the jaguar,
The one and only,
The fastest animal in all of the savannah.
Josie shook her head.
But what if I'm not good at being Josie the jaguar?
What if everyone thinks I'm special except for me?
Una stepped towards her gently.
Then,
My friend,
We are going to figure this out together.
But please don't become a fish because I cannot swim without accidentally jet propelling myself backwards.
Josie cracked a tiny smile.
But she walked away quietly,
Her heart feeling a little tender.
I'm going to go and find something that I am good at,
She said.
Una followed not far behind,
Whispering dramatically.
Josie,
Something tells me this is a terrible idea.
Tempt number one.
Josie climbed a skinny tree.
Her claws slipped.
The branches wobbled.
She reached for a nut.
Oh,
Una yelled boost.
No,
No,
Screamed Josie.
But too late.
Una's fart blast sent Josie flying upward like a jaguar-shaped comet.
Josie saw the entire savannah from up there.
She saw the horizon.
She saw her life choices.
Then she plummeted into a bush.
Squirrels applauded politely.
One gave her a tiny nut as a consolation prize.
Oh,
Well,
I'm definitely not a squirrel,
Josie groaned.
Attempt number two.
Josie climbed a termite mound.
I know,
She said.
I'll try to fly.
Una squinted.
Oh,
I don't know about this,
Josie.
Will you though?
Josie leapt.
Una gave a gentle fart lift.
It was not gentle,
Guys.
A tornado of unicorn gas spun up dirt and butterflies and Walter the warthog's leftover sandwich and his toupee.
Josie face planted into the mud.
Una crash landed right beside her with the sound of someone trying to start a lawnmower.
Nope,
Josie mumbled.
I'm definitely not a bird either.
Attempt number three.
Next,
Josie waddled into the mud.
Maybe she could try being a hippo.
Instantly,
She regretted her decision.
Oh,
This feels so wrong.
Everywhere.
It feels so wrong,
Even in my soul.
Una tried to warm the water up for her.
The water bubbled ominously.
Fish evacuated.
Even a crocodile popped up wearing an expression that said,
Excuse me,
Who summoned the jacuzzi?
Josie sprinted out of the water so far,
She left a mud trail behind her.
No,
No,
No,
No.
I'm definitely not a hippo either.
Una trotted beside her.
Oh,
Shocking,
Josie.
Josie wandered between two big rocks,
Lost in thought,
Not trying,
Not forcing,
Just moving.
She leapt.
And this time,
Oh guys,
This time was different.
The air caught her.
Her body remembered.
Her paws landed like whispers on the sand.
She glided with the elegance of moonlight,
Gently and slowly gliding across the water with ease.
Una gasped.
Her back leg lifted instinctively.
She emitted a tiny squeak fire that formed a perfect rainbow bubble.
Josie,
You just flew without my farty assistance.
Josie blinked.
Una,
You're right.
I did.
Josie tried it again and again,
Faster,
Smoother,
Stronger.
It was right then in that very moment that Josie finally understood.
Her sensitivity wasn't a weakness.
It was what made her aware of every shift in the wind,
Every heartbeat,
Every sound,
Every possibility.
It was her superpower.
Whoa,
This changes everything,
She thought to herself.
A baby gazelle had wandered too far and before anyone else noticed,
Josie noticed.
Before danger arrived,
Josie felt it.
She ran.
Her body was a ribbon of speed,
A streak of instinct,
A poem in motion.
Una tried to follow,
But fart rocketed backwards into a tree.
Oh,
Una.
Josie nudged the baby gazelle back to safety.
She didn't even pant or break a sweat.
When she returned,
The animal stared at her in total wonder.
Josie looked down at her paws,
Then at Una.
Hmm,
I think maybe I've forgotten who I was today,
Josie said.
Una trotted over,
Mane wild,
Tail sparkling,
Smelling faintly of magical nonsense.
It's okay to forget,
Una said,
And it's okay to wobble,
And it's okay to feel too much.
Your sensitivity doesn't make you weak.
It actually makes you so incredibly powerful,
Josie.
Then Una let out a soft,
Gentle hum-like fart that floated a single leaf into Josie's fur.
Josie,
You are magnificent,
Una whispered,
Even when you can't see it.
In that moment,
Josie's eyes softened.
For the first time in quite a while,
Her whole body softened too.
Thank you,
Josie murmured to Una,
For believing in me,
For seeing my magic,
Even when I didn't.
Una grinned,
Ah,
You're so welcome,
And thank you for loving me,
Even though I fart with the force of a small tornado.
They both burst into hysterical giggles.
So guys,
Thank you for listening today.
Sometimes,
Just like Josie,
We can forget our magic.
We forget our strengths,
We can even forget our power,
And we forget the way we light up the world just by being who we were born to be.
And that's okay,
Because your magic never disappears.
It waits quietly inside of you,
Ready to roar again.
And if you're lucky,
You'll have a friend just like Una,
Who cheers you on,
Who keeps things funny and silly,
And shows you that even the wobbly days are part of your wild and wonderful story.
Until next time,
My little legends,
Stay brave,
Stay curious,
And stay wonderfully you.
Bye!
