Once upon a time, in a far away land, there was an ordinary bird, Pecky. Pecky was a plain looking, shy, and reserved hummingbird. She was not particularly strong, nor considered herself brave. She was always leaning on her parents. Her family lived in The Silent Woods, named by the mayor, Mr. Fluffy Tail. Despite the name, the forest was anything but quiet. The chitter-chatter of all the creatures, from rodents to leopards, echoed through the babbling streams to the forest sky. On one memorable day, the birds went wild screeching for help while the foxes, bears, and raccoons chatted up a storm about what would become of them. The energy in the forest felt like a birthday party with thousands of animals all talking at once. The billowing smoke started to seep through the tree branches. Red sparks lit up the dry bushes and leaves then quickly burned along the tree bark. The inferno had begun to creep close to their adobe. In a wave of panic, Pecky started to see how this huge wall of fire would demolish her habitat, the food source, and endanger her family and friends’ lives. Hopelessness swept over her like a snowy avalanche. She felt as terrified as a mouse stuck in a glue trap. Initially, Pecky just froze and did nothing to help change her situation. She figured that the stronger bears could just break through the trees to put out the fires, and the foxes could just dash back and forth to bring buckets of water. She thought to herself, “Couldn’t the other animals take care of this problem?” At the same time, she doubted her feeble wings, her dainty toes, or her tiny brain can compare to the other mighty creatures. So she didn’t do anything and just stood idle. Yet as time passed by, she heard her friends’ desperate cries for help, holding onto each other with tears streaming down their faces. Many others scurried around looking for cover and safety from the fire that seared through the trees. As she watched the treetops crumble into ashes, the twigs in their family nest fall apart, and dying worms drop down to the ground, she realized that she had to contribute with whatever skills and talents she possessed or risk losing the home and family she loved. Regardless of her size and strength, she was now determined to figure out a solution just by being herself. Pecky found a high branch. Using her loudest outdoor voice, she shouted: “Pack your bags! Put on your fire-proof clothing! Run towards the lake!” She felt so small and insignificant believing she couldn’t change the fate of what would become of her family and friends. Pecky used her agile moves to flap her nimble wings to create gusts of wind to try to put out some small flames. For a while it seemed like the fire was retracting, but then another burst of flames exploded towards the forest like fresh lava spewing out of a volcano. She felt dejected but didn’t let it paralyze her. She immediately started gathering the bigger birds to line up above the nearby lake and asked them to flap their wings in unison. She joined the effort despite having the smallest wings. This movement blew the water out of the lake towards the flame, extinguishing the fire until it was no more. In this story, Pecky was just an ordinary bird that did extraordinary things. She saved the forest from being burned down which gave her family and furry friends a home to return to. In real life, there are scary wildfires that harm people, ruin entire communities, and also endanger animals and their habitat. Sometimes, when life gets hard, I tell myself I am not the strongest, fastest, or smartest to overcome it to make any real difference. It’s easy to just walk away and shrug the problem off my shoulders and let others solve it. Pecky is me. I know I have the gift of a strong voice and I want to be the change that I want to see. Although I can’t put out a forest fire, or completely get rid of pollution, or stop ice caps from melting, I can do little things with lots of love. When I see a piece of trash on the playground, I can pick it up rather than leave it there and wait for someone else to throw it away. Instead of running the car to go to near-by places, I can ride my bike so there is less exhaust and smog in the air. I can show care by talking and keeping my friend company when they feel down. I believe every life is precious and deserves to be treated well. Not only that, I matter because I am special and unique in my own way. The world is a stage where everyone plays a part. I play a small yet important part of this enormous “stage” that is our planet, for I have spirit, life, and a voice. There are basic human traits that everyone should have like honesty, kindness, loyalty, and generosity. Just like Pecky, when we get knocked down and drained of hope, we can get back up and fight with strength and words, with friends by our side. I can make a difference in this world, for I matter.
Stone Soup Magazine for young readers, writers, and artists
Talk, a poem by Dylan Li, 5
Dylan Li, 5Yorba Linda, CA Talk Dylan Li, 5 I like to talk, talk, talk… I talk to an apple No answer I talk to mommy and daddy Sometimes mommy is working daddy is sleeping Sometimes daddy is working mommy is sleeping So I talk to Alexa She always answers But sometimes power is off I really want to talk to my friends face to face
The Hobbit, Reviewed by Nora, 12
I first read The Hobbit when I was seven years old. I was instantly intrigued by the adventure, and wanted to read as much as I could. The story was exciting, and interesting, despite the rather dense language that often frightens people away. Some people think that The Hobbit is for middle schoolers to read, or sometimes high schoolers. But it is an adventure that will appeal to all ages, whether you’re seven or seventeen. One thing that made The Hobbit so interesting was that the main character, Bilbo Baggins, was a normal hobbit, and never ever wanted an adventure in his life. Throughout the book, he was often frightened, and not sure if he could do what he had been given to do. Everyone thought that he was some great burglar, when in truth, he had never left his hobbit-hole in Bag-End before. But despite all this, he ended up being crucial for the mission, and saved his friend’s lives on more than one occasion. Bilbo Baggins is unknowingly caught up in a great scheme between the dwarves and the great wizard, Gandalf, to get their gold and treasure back from the evil dragon, Smaug. Along the way, they come across many dangers, and almost die a few times. Bilbo is worried that he will never see his cosy home in Bag-End ever again. The Hobbit is the amazing prequel to The Lord of the Rings series. All four books take place in J.R.R. Tolkien’s imaginary world, called Middle Earth. Elves and goblins live there, along with hobbits, dragons, and other magical creatures. But Tolkein puts enough reality into it so that the characters are relatable, and although impossible things are happening to them, and they are not even human, it feels as though they are actually real. The dense writing style of The Hobbit often causes people to think that the book is very hard to understand, and not worth the time it takes them to read it. But it most definitely is. From the moment you read the first line, “In a hole in the ground there lived a hobbit” you will be fascinated, drawn in by the charm that J.R.R. Tolkien puts into his words. You will battle giant spiders, escape from goblins, and play a game of riddles with a creature in the dark. You will journey through the dark and dangerous forest, and confront Smaug, the dragon. I would recommend The Hobbit to anyone at all who is looking for a new adventure book. Whether you’re young or old, the story that has captivated audiences for generations will captivate you, too. The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien. Mariner Books, 1937. Buy the book here and support Stone Soup in the process!
