Is your child feeling upset because he heard unkind words from friends?
If your child is feeling upset because they’ve heard unkind words from friends or others — then try sharing The Whispering Wind.
This gentle story follows Bouncy the Bunny as he discovers that everyone, even his best friend Sunny the Squirrel, hears mean whispers sometimes. With a little help, Bouncy learns to let those words blow away like the wind, staying happy just being himself.
This tale is perfect for helping young hearts understand that they don’t have to hold onto hurtful words—and that they’re not alone in facing them.
The Whispering Wind
Once upon a time, in a bright little village nestled between green hills, there lived a cheerful bunny named Bouncy. Bouncy loved hopping around, saying hello to everyone—the birds, the squirrels, even the grumpy old tortoise, Mr. Shellback. He thought if he was kind to everyone, they’d all like him back.
One sunny day, Bouncy was hopping along when he overheard a whisper in the wind. It carried voices from the other side of the hill. “That Bouncy hops too loud,” said a chipmunk. “He’s always so bouncy—it’s annoying,” chirped a sparrow. Bouncy’s ears drooped. “Why don’t they like me?” he wondered. “I try so hard to be nice!”
Feeling sad, Bouncy hopped to his best friend, Sunny the Squirrel. “Sunny,” he said, “I heard some animals saying mean things about me. What did I do wrong?” Sunny twitched her fluffy tail and smiled. “Oh, Bouncy, come with me.”
She led him to a big oak tree where the wind swirled playfully. “Listen,” Sunny said. The wind whispered again: “Sunny’s tail is too bushy,” giggled a frog. “She climbs too fast,” grumbled a mole. Bouncy’s eyes widened. “They’re talking about you too?”
Sunny nodded. “Yep! Even Mr. Shellback gets whispers. I heard someone say he’s too slow.
The truth is, Bouncy, no matter who you are, someone, somewhere, might say something mean. It’s just how the wind blows—here one day, gone the next.”
Bouncy tilted his head. “But it feels bad.” Sunny hopped onto a branch. “It does at first, but my grandma taught me a trick. When you hear a mean whisper, imagine it’s just a little breeze. Let it whoosh right past you, like this!” She waved her paws, and Bouncy giggled, waving his too.
From that day on, whenever Bouncy heard a whisper in the wind—like “His ears are too floppy!”—he’d smile, wave his paws, and say, “Whoosh! Off you go!” Soon, the whispers didn’t bother him at all. He kept hopping, kept smiling, and kept being his happy, bouncy self.
And the wind? It just kept blowing, carrying whispers away to the hills, where they faded into nothing.