
Once there was a little boy called Joey. Joey was three years old and he loved playing in the sunshine. One day Joey was walking in the woods when he spotted a little bird. He wanted to hold it in his hands, so he tried to pinch it.
Suddenly, the bird flew away. Joey felt sad. He thought he had been too rough with the bird. His dad saw what happened and came over to him.
“Joey,” his dad said gently, “you shouldn’t pinch animals. They are scared when you do that. We should be gentle with them.”
Joey nodded. From then on he was more careful when playing in the woods. He enjoyed playing among the mild flowers, soft tree trunks and friendly insects. He never forgot the lesson his dad taught him and he was gentle with all the animals he met on his walks in the woods.
