Speaker 1: Welcome in everyone to Lively Lewis Stories. That's right, We're
Speaker 1: back with even more awesome adventures with Levi and Ivy.
Speaker 1: Set your storytime eater too fun and get ready to
Speaker 1: join the Lively Lewis crew. All you need is your
Speaker 1: imagination and we go. I can't thank you, see Clare
Speaker 1: my story to us today. Have you ever wanted to
Speaker 1: get more Lively Lewis in your life? Well we've got
Speaker 1: you covered. Grab an adult and zoom over to livelyleuisshop
Speaker 1: dot com or just click on the link in our
Speaker 1: show notes. Enough about that, let's get too today's super
Speaker 1: Live Ay Lewis story. Mom called Levi as he walked
Speaker 1: into the house after school. Mom, are you here? Yeah?
Speaker 1: I am right here, answered Levi's mom as she walked
Speaker 1: into the living room. How was school? But she didn't
Speaker 1: have to wait long for an answer because the look
Speaker 1: on Levi's face set it all not great. Levi had
Speaker 1: been having trouble at school recently with a few older
Speaker 1: boys who were not being the nicest to him. On
Speaker 1: the soccer field at recess, they often wouldn't let him
Speaker 1: play at all, and when they did, they wouldn't pass
Speaker 1: to him. And would run plays that excluded Levi from
Speaker 1: the action. Are those boys still giving you problems at recess?
Speaker 1: Asked Levi's mom if she gave her a son a hug,
Speaker 1: your dad and I will contact your principal and teach
Speaker 1: her again. We'll do whatever we can to help you out.
Speaker 1: We're all on your team, buddy. Those words of encouragement
Speaker 1: and a great, big hug were just what Levi needed,
Speaker 1: as his mom could feel his stress from the day
Speaker 1: melts away when she showed how much she cared for him.
Speaker 1: Levi dropped his backpack on the ground and hugged his
Speaker 1: mom tight. She could tell he was crying and brought
Speaker 1: him over to the couch to sit down. Just as
Speaker 1: she was about to ask him what happened that day specifically,
Speaker 1: Ivy walked in through the door, and she didn't look
Speaker 1: much better than Levi. Mom, said Ivy before the tears
Speaker 1: started to roll down her cheeks as well. Oh no, sweetie,
Speaker 1: what's wrong? Asked Ivy's mom as she opened her arms wide,
Speaker 1: letting Ivy know there was room in her big hug
Speaker 1: for one more kiddo that needed it. Ivy hugged her mom,
Speaker 1: wiped her eyes and began to tell her a story
Speaker 1: about what happened that day, and Ivy didn't need to
Speaker 1: ask why Levi was crying. She already knew the reason.
Speaker 1: I was at Rees's today and I was jumping rope
Speaker 1: with some friends when all of a sudden, I heard
Speaker 1: some shouting coming from the soccer field, said Ivy as
Speaker 1: she began to tell her story. I ran over because
Speaker 1: I knew Levi was playing soccer, and I wanted to
Speaker 1: make sure everyone was okay. You're very sweet to do that,
Speaker 1: Ivy said her mom, so proud of her daughter's carrie nature.
Speaker 1: When I got to the field, I saw Levi standing
Speaker 1: alone by the fence while two of the older boys,
Speaker 1: who were clearly the team captains, were arguing back and forth,
Speaker 1: continued Ivy until Levi interrupted, speaking for the first time
Speaker 1: since he got home. They were arguing over me, said Levi.
Speaker 1: Were they arguing over which one could have you on
Speaker 1: their team, said Levi's mom, hopeful that Levi was finally
Speaker 1: being included at Recess. No, just the opposite, answered Levi.
Speaker 1: They were arguing because neither of them wanted me on
Speaker 1: their team. Well that's just silly, added Levi's mom. You're
Speaker 1: one of the best players in your age group. You
Speaker 1: were the top goal scorer last year and everything I know.
Speaker 1: But since they play in the age group just above me,
Speaker 1: they think they're the best soccer players in the whole town,
Speaker 1: said Levi. They don't have any room for me on
Speaker 1: that field. Maybe I'll just stop trying to play with them.
Speaker 1: But I love playing soccer so much it would make
Speaker 1: me sad to give that up. At recess, Levi's mom
Speaker 1: felt terrible. She knew how much Levi loved soccer, and
Speaker 1: he always had so much fun playing at school until
Speaker 1: this year. Levi. I don't think that's the answer, said
Speaker 1: his mom. If you stop playing, then the older kid's
Speaker 1: bad behavior wins, and we can't have that happen. Then
Speaker 1: they'll think that they can act like that anytime. This
Speaker 1: is a moment in time when maybe if you talk
Speaker 1: with them, you can change the way they behave for
Speaker 1: the better. And when you do that, you stop them
Speaker 1: from making anyone else feel the way you're feeling. Right now,
Speaker 1: Levi knew his mom was right, but standing up to
Speaker 1: those older kids wasn't something he felt comfortable doing. And
Speaker 1: then there was ivy, excuse me, did we forget that.
Speaker 1: I was crying when I walked into the house, asked Ivy. Oh, Ivy,
Speaker 1: I'm so sorry you weren't done with your story yet,
Speaker 1: said her mom, focusing her attention back on Ivy. So
Speaker 1: when I saw that Levi was upset, it made me upset,
Speaker 1: said Ivy, because even though he can be annoying sometimes,
Speaker 1: like when he eats the last cookie without telling me,
Speaker 1: or when he uses my paint brushes to clean the
Speaker 1: spokes on his bike, but he's still my brother and
Speaker 1: I don't want to see him sad. Levi gave his
Speaker 1: sister a little smile, so thankful that she was so
Speaker 1: sweet and caring. I watched Levi standing there all alone
Speaker 1: against the fence, waiting to play soccer and have fun,
Speaker 1: and I started to cry, said Ivy. And that's when
Speaker 1: they showed up, who, asked Ivy's mom. This group of
Speaker 1: girls one grade above me. I actually thought we were
Speaker 1: kind of friends. They liked to hang out by the
Speaker 1: so feels and make bracelets or draw during recess, explained Ivy.
Speaker 1: But today they were just there to make fun of me,
Speaker 1: it seemed. Ivy went on to explain that the older
Speaker 1: girl saw her crying. They called her a cry baby,
Speaker 1: and that made her feel really bad. I'm not a
Speaker 1: cry baby, said Ivy. I was crying because Levi I
Speaker 1: looked so sad. I bet they would have done the
Speaker 1: same thing if someone they cared about was feeling sad.
Speaker 1: That's a good way to look at it, replied Ivey's mom.
Speaker 1: Did you tell them that? Ivy just looked down at
Speaker 1: the ground and shook her head. No. She wanted to
Speaker 1: say those things and tell them that it's not nice
Speaker 1: to tease people and how would they feel if they
Speaker 1: were in her situation, But instead she just ran off,
Speaker 1: wanting to be as far away from them as possible
Speaker 1: so they couldn't tease her anymore. Did you tell your teacher,
Speaker 1: Ivy asked her mom. Again. Ivy just shook her head. No.
Speaker 1: I didn't want to make a big deal out of it,
Speaker 1: said Ivy, because if I did, my teacher would have
Speaker 1: made us talk about it, and I don't want to
Speaker 1: talk to them. But talking things out is the best
Speaker 1: way to resolve, probably, said Ivy and Levi's mom. If
Speaker 1: you don't deal with the issue, then it can get
Speaker 1: worse and worse it can make you stop playing a
Speaker 1: sport that you love, or it can make you run
Speaker 1: away and hide your true feelings. Ivy's mom went on
Speaker 1: to explain to her daughter that, just like in Levi's situation,
Speaker 1: if she talked to those girls, maybe she would have
Speaker 1: helped them to see that the way they were acting
Speaker 1: was not very nice. She then told both her kids
Speaker 1: that it is important to let your emotions out, like
Speaker 1: they were both doing at home, and never bottle them
Speaker 1: up and forget about them, because over time, those strong
Speaker 1: emotions will build up and that's no fun at all,
Speaker 1: which is why they had to talk to those kids
Speaker 1: at school before anything else happened. She also told Levi
Speaker 1: and Ivy that even though they may think they're hiding
Speaker 1: how they feel, that was not the case at all.
Speaker 1: You're both usually so confident and happy, but lately it
Speaker 1: seems like you're more quiet and down, said Levi and
Speaker 1: Ivey's mom. Your dad and I don't want to see
Speaker 1: you like that, and we know that you don't want
Speaker 1: to feel like that. We've given you some stratag used
Speaker 1: to use, but unless you feel confident to stand up
Speaker 1: to the kids that are making you feel bad, then
Speaker 1: your dad and I will have to call the school again.
Speaker 1: Levi and Ivy both looked up at each other. They
Speaker 1: really wanted to try and solve their problems by themselves,
Speaker 1: but they knew it wouldn't be easy. But situations like
Speaker 1: this could come up at any time in their lives,
Speaker 1: and they knew they had to be prepared to handle them, knowing,
Speaker 1: of course, that their parents and in this case, their
Speaker 1: teachers and principles were always nearby to help. Mom, Can
Speaker 1: you and dad give Ivy and I a little time
Speaker 1: to think about how we could handle these situations, ask Levi.
Speaker 1: We sure can, said Levi and Ive's mom. How about
Speaker 1: you to take a walk? A nice long walk and
Speaker 1: some fresh air always helps me clear my head so
Speaker 1: I can focus on an important task. Levi and Ivy
Speaker 1: knew their mom was right, and they decided to take
Speaker 1: her advice and walk down the park in the neighborhood.
Speaker 1: It was one of their favorite places in the world,
Speaker 1: and if nothing else, they would get to run around
Speaker 1: a bit, have some fun, and try to put the
Speaker 1: day behind them for a little bit. We'll be back
Speaker 1: by dinner time, called out Levi as here and Ivy
Speaker 1: started out the door. Okay, kids, try to have some
Speaker 1: fun and hopefully, as your mood changes, you'll be able
Speaker 1: to think of the best way to deal with your
Speaker 1: individual situations at school, said their mom as she walked
Speaker 1: out to the backyard. Levi and Ivy quickly started off
Speaker 1: down their street. At first, they weren't talking very much,
Speaker 1: just looking up at the sky, counting clouds drifting by,
Speaker 1: and listening to the birds in the trees. Then out
Speaker 1: of nowhere, Levi said, I'm sorry you cried today. It
Speaker 1: was all because of me. You don't have to apologize
Speaker 1: at all, Levi. Ivy began as she stopped and looked
Speaker 1: at her brother. If anyone has to apologize, it's those
Speaker 1: soccer boys who are mean to you and those girls
Speaker 1: who are calling me names. We didn't do anything wrong,
Speaker 1: Levi smiled, knowing what a great sister and friend he
Speaker 1: had in Ivy. That makes a lot of sense, said Levi.
Speaker 1: Maybe if you and I talked to those kids together
Speaker 1: tomorrow at school, then we could let them know just
Speaker 1: how bad they're making us feel. Strengthen numbers. I think
Speaker 1: it's what it's called, answered Ivey. I think the two
Speaker 1: of us together could do the trick. Wow, this walk
Speaker 1: is helping us out already. Levi and Ivy smiled and
Speaker 1: continued on the park. They were happy that they were
Speaker 1: already thinking of ways to resolve the issues they were
Speaker 1: having at school, and as a reward for their smart thinking,
Speaker 1: they were going to treat themselves with a few rides
Speaker 1: on the zip line and a slide down their favorite
Speaker 1: tube slide. But before they could reach the park, they
Speaker 1: stumbled upon a hedgerow that they had never seen before. Wow,
Speaker 1: what is that? Asked Ivy as she stood gnawed the
Speaker 1: gigantic wall of evergreens. Do you remember seeing that here before,
Speaker 1: right at the entrance to the park, asked Levi. No,
Speaker 1: and I definitely think i'd remember seeing something so beautiful
Speaker 1: and enormous, replied Ivy. The hedgerow seemed to stretch on
Speaker 1: forever and looked completely impossible to go through. The thick
Speaker 1: green pine needles formed an almost solid living wall in
Speaker 1: front of them. However, they were curious as to what
Speaker 1: it was, why it was there, and if it was
Speaker 1: possible to see what was on on the other side.
Speaker 1: Levi and Ivy, both being quite curious, decided to take
Speaker 1: a look through the millions of pine branches. That's when
Speaker 1: Levi said, do you see that? Ivy knew exactly what
Speaker 1: he was referring to and called back a giant iron gate.
Speaker 1: They didn't even need to think a second about what
Speaker 1: to do next. The two adventurous kids each reached out
Speaker 1: of hand and touched the gate. The cold, solid iron
Speaker 1: looked ancient, and both Levi and Ivy never would have
Speaker 1: imagined in a million years what would happen next. Gates
Speaker 1: are sometimes meant to keep people out of places. They
Speaker 1: are sometimes meant not to move and act as a
Speaker 1: barrier or obstacle to prevent people from moving forward. Well
Speaker 1: not in this case. As soon as Levi and Ivy's
Speaker 1: small hands touched the gate, it swung open wide as
Speaker 1: if it was waiting for them, revealing a most fantastic
Speaker 1: and magical looking garden. Levi, I don't think this is
Speaker 1: part of the park, said Ivy with a bit of
Speaker 1: a twinkle in her eye. The new world was different
Speaker 1: and unique, but that's what made it intriguing and exciting.
Speaker 1: Do you think we should take a closer look, asked
Speaker 1: Levi with the same twinkle in his eye. I mean,
Speaker 1: as long as we don't walk too far from the gate,
Speaker 1: then I think will be okay, answered Ivy, already taking
Speaker 1: a few steps past the most amazing collection of flowers
Speaker 1: she had ever seen. I think you made a great choice,
Speaker 1: said a voice from behind Ivy. Thank you, Levi. I
Speaker 1: feel like this place looks pretty harmless, and if we
Speaker 1: just stay for a second, I don't think anything too
Speaker 1: crazy will happen, answered Ivy. Yeah, I agree, Ivy. But
Speaker 1: I didn't say anything to you, said Levi, all of
Speaker 1: a sudden, looking a bit nervous. So if Levi hadn't
Speaker 1: said anything, then who was Ivy answering? And where were they?
Speaker 1: It was after hearing Levi's response that Ivy began to
Speaker 1: question her decision to walk through the gate into the garden.
Speaker 1: They both spun around, looking this way and that, trying
Speaker 1: to figure out where and who the voice had come from.
Speaker 1: If you want to find an answer, you have to
Speaker 1: look both high and low, said the voice. What does
Speaker 1: that mean? Asked Levi, still searching for the voice. I
Speaker 1: think we need to change our perspective and look down, too,
Speaker 1: answered Ivy as she stared in amazement at where the
Speaker 1: voice was coming from. Until that moment, she and Levi
Speaker 1: had only been looking at what was in their Eyeline.
Speaker 1: But once Ivy looked toward the ground, that's when she
Speaker 1: saw a bunch of brilliant pink paeonies, and underneath those
Speaker 1: fantastic flowers set a very wise looking tortoise. I can't
Speaker 1: believe what I am seeing, exclaimed Levi as he walked
Speaker 1: towards the giant tortoise. And if the fact that the
Speaker 1: tortoise wasn't talking enough, he was also wearing a little
Speaker 1: derby hat and a small pair of glasses. I know
Speaker 1: I always get that reaction when people first meet me,
Speaker 1: said the tortoise with a smile. I'm a friend, though,
Speaker 1: and I have been expecting you. You've been expecting us,
Speaker 1: asked Ivy, sounding quite shocked. You knew we were gonna
Speaker 1: show up here. Ow. Well, this is a very special place,
Speaker 1: a place that only makes its presence known when someone
Speaker 1: or some too in your case, needs my help, said
Speaker 1: the tortoise. First of all, before we go any further,
Speaker 1: my name is Eldon, and this is the Garden of Friends.
Speaker 1: Eldon then went on to explain that the magical garden
Speaker 1: that surrounded them all was filled with many plants and
Speaker 1: creatures whose only goal that day was to make those
Speaker 1: around them feel respected, heard and understood. But not all
Speaker 1: the creatures and plants acted that way all the time,
Speaker 1: So that's where the lessons can be learned and progress
Speaker 1: can be made. Wow, what a wonderful place, said Levi
Speaker 1: looking around. I wish the soccer field that recess was
Speaker 1: like this. And that is exactly the reason you're here,
Speaker 1: Alden said quickly. And because of those girls that made
Speaker 1: you cry today, Ivy, You're both here to learn a
Speaker 1: lesson about creating boundaries in your lives and making sure
Speaker 1: they're respected. By gaining this new courage, you will be
Speaker 1: able to help yourselves, others around you, and even the
Speaker 1: people that sometimes don't respect or care for your feelings.
Speaker 1: You can do that by showing them how their actions
Speaker 1: and words make you and others feel. Levin and Ivy
Speaker 1: knew this was just the place for them. They were
Speaker 1: ready to learn all they could before dinner time. Of course,
Speaker 1: Elden assured them that around every corner in the garden
Speaker 1: there were lessons to learn. They just had to keep
Speaker 1: their eyes open and always remember to look high and low.
Speaker 1: I'm here to give you a challenge, Elden began. The
Speaker 1: challenge is broken up into four parts. Each part will
Speaker 1: have you helping a different garden friend to learn either courage, respect, clarity,
Speaker 1: or empathy. And as you help them, you will both
Speaker 1: learn from their experiences and apply what you learn in
Speaker 1: those situations you're dealing with at school. With all this knowledge,
Speaker 1: you'll be confident enough to stand up for yourselves. This
Speaker 1: sounds great. I love helping others, said Levi, Me too,
Speaker 1: echoed Ivy. Let's get to that first quest. Eldon pointed
Speaker 1: Levi and Ivy down a path filled with thousands of
Speaker 1: bright and colorful flowers. As Levi and Ivy made their
Speaker 1: way down the path, they saw a small colony of
Speaker 1: bumble bees buzzing around a patch of some flowers. Normally,
Speaker 1: that should have made the bees very happy to be
Speaker 1: so close to all those lovely pollen producing flowers, but
Speaker 1: they all look sad. What's wrong, asked Levi to one
Speaker 1: of the little bees. So nice of you to ask,
Speaker 1: buzzed the little bee. You see that magnificent hive over there, Well,
Speaker 1: up until ten minutes ago, that was our hive, but
Speaker 1: now I guess it belongs to those ants. When Levi
Speaker 1: and Ivy looked over, they saw quite a magnificent hive,
Speaker 1: but instead of it buzzing with bees, it was overrun
Speaker 1: with ants. Well, if that's your hive, why don't you
Speaker 1: go take it back, asked Ivy. Because those ants are
Speaker 1: older than us, and we don't want to start any trouble,
Speaker 1: said the little bee in a quiet voice. But if
Speaker 1: you don't tell them how upset you feel that they
Speaker 1: took your hive, then they could do it again to
Speaker 1: another bunch of bees. Do you want that to happen,
Speaker 1: asked Levi. Yes, Just imagine another bunch of bees feeling
Speaker 1: the same way you do right now, added Ivy. Once
Speaker 1: the little bees heard that their minds changed, they owed
Speaker 1: it to every little bee in that garden to stand
Speaker 1: up to those ants and tell them to never take
Speaker 1: something that's not theirs. Again. You need some courage, cheered Levi.
Speaker 1: You need to stand up for yourself because you're worth it,
Speaker 1: and by doing that, you have the opportunity to make
Speaker 1: someone better by showing them the right way to act.
Speaker 1: As Levi heard the words he was saying, he couldn't
Speaker 1: help but think that it was pretty good advice that
Speaker 1: he could have used earlier that day at the soccer
Speaker 1: field at Recess, the bees all seemed quite motivated by
Speaker 1: the words Levi spoke. They rallied together, got up their courage,
Speaker 1: and flew over to the hive to take back what
Speaker 1: was theirs. However, the ants were not used to being
Speaker 1: treated or spoken to that way. They were used to
Speaker 1: barging in, taking what they wanted and being left alone,
Speaker 1: But now they were being held accountable for their actions,
Speaker 1: learning that the things they did affected others around them
Speaker 1: in a negative way. After hearing from the bees, the
Speaker 1: ants apologized for making them feel disrespected and uncared for. Then,
Speaker 1: as the ants were treated from the hive, promising never
Speaker 1: to do anything like that again, a flower seemed to
Speaker 1: bloom out of nowhere, right in front of Levi and Ivy.
Speaker 1: As the petals of the flower opened up, they revealed
Speaker 1: the shiny golden token on the shiny coin was the
Speaker 1: word courage. Levi grabbed the coin. You've done it, exclaimed, Eldon,
Speaker 1: You've completed your first quest. You helped the bees get
Speaker 1: their courage back, and in doing so, they helped the
Speaker 1: ants see how wrong they were for mistreating others in
Speaker 1: the garden. Congratulations. Only three quests left to complete. Ivey
Speaker 1: was so proud of Levi and was hoping she could
Speaker 1: take the lead on the next quest. As they continued
Speaker 1: down the garden path, following elden, past tall trees, cascading vines,
Speaker 1: and endless rows of berry bushes, they heard a rustling.
Speaker 1: As they looked down toward the ground, A little paw,
Speaker 1: then another stuck out from underneath one of the bushes.
Speaker 1: It didn't take Ivy long to realize it was a
Speaker 1: raccoon popping out to say hello. Well, not quite. She
Speaker 1: was popping out because she needed some help. Hi, little friend,
Speaker 1: how can we help you, asked Ivy. The little raccoon
Speaker 1: wiped a tear from her eye and looked up at Ivy,
Speaker 1: unsure and nervous. Oh no, I couldn't ask for your help,
Speaker 1: said the little raccoon. You'd probably just call me a baby. Anyway.
Speaker 1: I would never say that, declared Ivy, kneeling down to
Speaker 1: get close to the scared looking raccoon. I know what
Speaker 1: it feels like to be called a baby for expressing
Speaker 1: your emotions, and I know how badly it can hurt
Speaker 1: your feelings. The little raccoon's ears perked up and she
Speaker 1: immediately felt comfortable with Ivy. So comfortable in fact, that
Speaker 1: she began to share her story. The raccoon had been
Speaker 1: wandering through the garden earlier, and a fox who she
Speaker 1: thought was her friend, decided to make fun of her
Speaker 1: when she stubbed her paw on a tree root that
Speaker 1: was sticking out of the ground. I was crying and
Speaker 1: calling for my mom, and that fox said I was
Speaker 1: being a baby, said the raccoon. He said it was
Speaker 1: no big deal and then I should walk it off.
Speaker 1: I thought we were friends. I can't believe he didn't
Speaker 1: even try to help me. Well, what did you say
Speaker 1: to him, asked Ivy. The raccoon just looked down at
Speaker 1: the ground and shook her head. I didn't say anything,
Speaker 1: she replied. I just limped away and hit under that
Speaker 1: berry bush. Why what should I have said? You should
Speaker 1: have told the fox that those were your emotions and
Speaker 1: no one else is. If you wanted to cry, you
Speaker 1: had every right, and that you were sure there were
Speaker 1: times when he had cried too, said Ivy. You should
Speaker 1: have also said that his actions made you feel bad
Speaker 1: because you thought you were friends, and friends are supposed
Speaker 1: to be there to pick you up when you're feeling down.
Speaker 1: And as Ivy heard the words she was, She couldn't
Speaker 1: help but think that it was pretty good advice that
Speaker 1: she could have used earlier that day when she was
Speaker 1: watching Levi on the soccer field. The little raccoon seemed
Speaker 1: motivated by the words Ivy spoke. She knew Ivy was
Speaker 1: right and set off to find that fox, who happened
Speaker 1: to not be very far away enjoying a nap in
Speaker 1: the sun. The raccoon told the fox about her emotions
Speaker 1: and how important it is to get them out, also
Speaker 1: how no one should make you feel bad about crying
Speaker 1: or feeling scared. However, the fox was not used to
Speaker 1: being treated or spoken to that way. He was used
Speaker 1: to saying what he wanted and not being told one
Speaker 1: way or another how it made others feel. But now
Speaker 1: he was being held accountable for his actions, learning that
Speaker 1: the things he did affected the others around him in
Speaker 1: a negative way. The fox apologized after hearing from the
Speaker 1: little raccoon how she felt made fun of and how
Speaker 1: she would never expect a friend to treat her that way.
Speaker 1: The fox apologized to the little raccoon, reassuring his friend
Speaker 1: that he would never react to her emotions in that
Speaker 1: way again, or any other creature's emotions for that matter,
Speaker 1: And as she did, a flower seemed to bloom out
Speaker 1: of nowhere, right in front of Levi and Ivy. As
Speaker 1: the petals of the flowers opened, they revealed a shiny
Speaker 1: golden token. On the shiny coin was the word respect.
Speaker 1: Ivy grabbed the coin. You've done it again, exclaimed Eldon,
Speaker 1: you've completed your second quest. You helped the little raccoon
Speaker 1: learn that expressing yourself through emotions is something we all
Speaker 1: should do, and in doing so, she helped the fox
Speaker 1: to see how wrong he was for making fun of her.
Speaker 1: Crying congratulations, only two quests left to complete. Completing the
Speaker 1: first two quests made Levi and Ivy feel great. They
Speaker 1: were excited to help others in the garden. They were
Speaker 1: feeling the same way they had felt earlier that same day.
Speaker 1: They knew the Garden of Friends had more lessons to
Speaker 1: teach them, and they had more friends to help, so
Speaker 1: they marched on following Eldon. The next garden friend they
Speaker 1: discovered was a bashful bunny, but as soon as they
Speaker 1: tried to talk with him, they were interrupted by a
Speaker 1: very talkative and confident falcon. So and what are you
Speaker 1: doing here? And why are you trying to talk to
Speaker 1: my friend? The falcon squawked as he stood between Levin
Speaker 1: and Ivy and the bashful bunny. I'm sorry, we didn't
Speaker 1: mean to make you upset, said Levib. Yeah, we just
Speaker 1: wanted to say hello. So hello. The bashful bunny smiled
Speaker 1: and tried to say hello, until he was interrupted, this
Speaker 1: time by the falcon. Well he says hi, and I
Speaker 1: say hi. And now I guess you too could be
Speaker 1: on your way, said the falcon. We're all set friends,
Speaker 1: we don't need any more. Isn't that right, bunny? The
Speaker 1: bashful bunny just raised his eyebrows as if to say, well,
Speaker 1: that's what you think. Let's just hold on a second,
Speaker 1: said Levi to the falcon, trying to be respectful of
Speaker 1: his friendship with the bunny, but also wanting to make
Speaker 1: sure that the bunny didn't need help. Maybe the bunny
Speaker 1: has something to say, Maybe you could let him talk
Speaker 1: for himself. It's okay to speak your mind and be
Speaker 1: clear with what you want, said Ivy too. With the bunny,
Speaker 1: you don't have to let someone else speak for you.
Speaker 1: The bashful bunny smiled. See me motivated by Levin Ivy's
Speaker 1: words he popped out his chest. And I'd like to
Speaker 1: be friends with them, what exclaimed the falcon, looking shocked
Speaker 1: as if he hadn't heard the bunny speak before and
Speaker 1: was expecting him to say anything but that. But but
Speaker 1: but I thought that you and I were friends, said
Speaker 1: the falcon. We are, began the bunny. But but, but,
Speaker 1: but that doesn't mean that I can't have other friends. Well,
Speaker 1: you never said any of this before, chirped the falcon.
Speaker 1: It's because you never let me talk, said the bunny.
Speaker 1: But to be fair, I guess I wasn't that clear
Speaker 1: and honest with you when you did speak for me
Speaker 1: all those times we were approached by other creatures in
Speaker 1: the garden who wanted to be friends and you said no.
Speaker 1: I ah, I should have spoken up. How else would
Speaker 1: you have known how I felt? Wow, I'm sorry. I
Speaker 1: thought you wanted it to be me and you, said
Speaker 1: the falcon to his bashful bunny friend. Can you forgive me?
Speaker 1: I sure can, said the bunny, And from now on,
Speaker 1: I'm going to try and be clear and honest with
Speaker 1: the way I feel. That sounds great to me, replied
Speaker 1: the falcon, giving the bunny a big hug. After seeing
Speaker 1: how the bunny handled that situation, Levi gave Ivy a
Speaker 1: big high five, and then, just like the two other
Speaker 1: times before, a flower seemed to bloom out of nowhere
Speaker 1: right in front of Levi and Ivy. As the petals
Speaker 1: of the flower opened up, they revealed a shiny golden token.
Speaker 1: On the shiny coin was the word clarity. Levi grabbed
Speaker 1: the coin. You've done it again, exclaimed Eldon. You've completed
Speaker 1: your third quest. You helped the bashful bunny express himself
Speaker 1: and learn that honesty is the only way for others
Speaker 1: to know how you're truly feeling and what you truly want. Congratulations,
Speaker 1: only one quest left to complete. Levi and Ivy were
Speaker 1: so proud of themselves for completing three quests so quickly,
Speaker 1: but it also made them feel sad that there was
Speaker 1: only one quest left to complete. It meant their time
Speaker 1: in the Garden of Friends would be soon, but they
Speaker 1: decided to focus all of their energy on that last
Speaker 1: quest and worry about going home after they completed it.
Speaker 1: Eldon walked Levi and Ivy over to a small, gentle stream.
Speaker 1: They each took a seat and looked around to see
Speaker 1: which new garden friend was in need of some help.
Speaker 1: They looked and looked until they finally saw a tiny
Speaker 1: hedgehog nibbling on a gigantic cookie. Thank you so much
Speaker 1: for this cookie, mumbled the hedgehog with a mouthful of cookie.
Speaker 1: It's delicious. He was talking to a chipmunk who did
Speaker 1: not look so happy. That was my last cookie, the
Speaker 1: chipmunk shouted, before she turned and walked away. I'll make
Speaker 1: you a new batch some day, I promise, replied the hedgehog,
Speaker 1: still nibbling on the cookie, as he passed by a
Speaker 1: turtle sitting on the edge of the stream. Hey turtle,
Speaker 1: sorry to say, but the binoculars I borrowed from you
Speaker 1: kind of well broke, said the hedgehog. Broke, but you
Speaker 1: said you'd take really good care of them. They were
Speaker 1: a birthday gift, said the turtle, sounding sad. And I've
Speaker 1: been waiting here for you for over an hour. You
Speaker 1: said you'd be here right at four, but it's such
Speaker 1: a nice day. I'm sure you didn't really mind sitting
Speaker 1: here and waiting a bit longer for me. And about
Speaker 1: your binoculars, I'm sure I can rustle up a new
Speaker 1: pair for you. Bye. Tomorrow next week, tops, said the
Speaker 1: hedgehog as he continued to meander through the garden. Levi
Speaker 1: and Ivy looked at each other and immediately knew the
Speaker 1: hedgehog was the last garden friend they had to help. Unfortunately,
Speaker 1: they knew how to deal with him because they had
Speaker 1: seen so many people like this before, the kind of
Speaker 1: people that don't value other people's feelings, things or time.
Speaker 1: Excuse me, called out Ivy. Can we talk to you
Speaker 1: for a minute? Who me? I'm terribly busy and have
Speaker 1: lots of things to do. I couldn't possibly stop and talk,
Speaker 1: replied the hedgehog. Are you on your way to steal
Speaker 1: another cookie without asking? Or break another friend's binoculars? Ask Levi,
Speaker 1: what do you mean, asked the hedgehog, not used to
Speaker 1: being talked to you that way? Well, I think you
Speaker 1: need to learn a little bit about empathy and focusing
Speaker 1: on others feelings, not just your own, said Ivy as
Speaker 1: she motioned for the hedgehog to join them on a
Speaker 1: fallen log. Did you ever think how you would feel
Speaker 1: if you had just made a batch of delicious cookies
Speaker 1: and there was only one left, and then out of nowhere,
Speaker 1: a hungry little hedgehog popped up and ate it, asked Levi, Well, ines, uh,
Speaker 1: I guess I never really thought about it that way,
Speaker 1: answered the hedgehog. Or did you ever think how you
Speaker 1: would feel to lend a brand new gift, like maybe
Speaker 1: a pair of binoculars to a friend and then never
Speaker 1: get them back because the friend broke them? Asked Ivy.
Speaker 1: We I I mean, I guess I never thought of
Speaker 1: that either, said the hedgehog, now feeling bad about the
Speaker 1: way he treated his turtle and chipmunk friends. Oh no,
Speaker 1: they must be really mad at me. Right, they may be,
Speaker 1: but they have a right to explained Ivy. You weren't
Speaker 1: being very nice to them. You totally disregarded their feelings
Speaker 1: because you weren't being empathetic. That means seeing things from
Speaker 1: their point of view, added Levi. Oh wow, you're right,
Speaker 1: replied the hedgehog. I've got to go talk to my friends,
Speaker 1: but not before I get a new pair of binoculars
Speaker 1: and a fresh batch of cookies to drop off. Levi
Speaker 1: and Ivy helped the little hedgehog with his tasks, and
Speaker 1: before long they were watching as he apologized to his friends.
Speaker 1: With gifts in hand, the hedgehog told them how he
Speaker 1: learned about empathy and how he should have thought how
Speaker 1: he would feel if he was in their place. The
Speaker 1: chipmunk and the turtle both thanked their friend, so happy
Speaker 1: for the positive change that Levi and Ivy had helped
Speaker 1: him make. And for one final time, a flower seemed
Speaker 1: to bloom out of nowhere right in front of Levi
Speaker 1: and Ivy. As the petals of the flower opened up,
Speaker 1: they revealed a shiny golden token. On the shiny coin
Speaker 1: was the word empathy. Ivy grabbed the coin. You've done
Speaker 1: it again, exclaimed Eldon. You've completed all four quests. You
Speaker 1: help the hedgehog learn about empathy. Now you have learned
Speaker 1: all you need to know to return to your world
Speaker 1: and fix the situations you were in today. Congratulations, I
Speaker 1: am so proud of you. Although they were sad to leave,
Speaker 1: Levi and Ivy thanked Elden for all he did for them.
Speaker 1: They also thank the bees, the ants, the raccoons, the fox,
Speaker 1: the bunny, the falcon, the hedgehog, the chipmunk, and the
Speaker 1: turtle because they knew they couldn't have learned all the
Speaker 1: valuable lessons they did if it hadn't been for their
Speaker 1: new garden friends. I can't wait to see how you
Speaker 1: use all that you've learned here to help you back home,
Speaker 1: said Eldon. Good luck, and please know that we will
Speaker 1: all be cheering you on from the garden. You have
Speaker 1: all the tools you need to make your situation at
Speaker 1: school better use them to help yourself, and you will
Speaker 1: help others as well. Thank you so much, Eldon, exclaimed
Speaker 1: Levi and Ivy. As they reached the gigantic iron gate
Speaker 1: that first led them into the Garden of Friends, they
Speaker 1: wave goodbye one last time before stepping back through into
Speaker 1: their normal world. Once back by the park, they turned
Speaker 1: around to see the hedgerow and the gate were both gone,
Speaker 1: taking Eldon and all their garden friends away too. Knowing
Speaker 1: what they had to do and holding the four golden
Speaker 1: coins from their garden quests, Levi and Ivy felt courageous.
Speaker 1: They felt that they deserved respect and could get it
Speaker 1: by showing clarity in their words and their actions and
Speaker 1: addressing situations to help themselves and the other people involved,
Speaker 1: and in doing so, they would hopefully teach others about
Speaker 1: empathy and how they should always ask this one question
Speaker 1: before they act. How would I feel if this were
Speaker 1: happening to me. Ivy and Levi returned home for dinner,
Speaker 1: once again full of confidence and looking like the old
Speaker 1: Levi and Ivy that their parents remembered. They were ready
Speaker 1: to talk to those kids the next day at school,
Speaker 1: and no matter what came their way during those interactions,
Speaker 1: they knew Eldon and their other garden friends had given
Speaker 1: them all the tools they needed to fix the problem.
Speaker 1: The next day, at school, Levi and Ivy each approached
Speaker 1: the kids they had made them upset the day before.
Speaker 1: Using all they learned, they help those kids to see
Speaker 1: how their words and actions were hurtful and made them
Speaker 1: feel bad. Both groups received the information the same way,
Speaker 1: surprise to how much of an impact they had on
Speaker 1: Levi and Ivy and so sorry forever making them feel
Speaker 1: bad in the first place. Levi and Ivy talked about
Speaker 1: it the whole way home, how the lessons they learned
Speaker 1: and the garden worked, and how they should really share
Speaker 1: what Eldon taught them with other kids at school, hopefully
Speaker 1: creating an environment where everyone respects each other. So the
Speaker 1: very next day, Levi and Ivy asked their teacher if
Speaker 1: they could form a school club teaching the lessons of courage, respect, clarity,
Speaker 1: and empathy. Their teachers loved the idea, and that day,
Speaker 1: the Garden of Friends Club was born. Thanks for joining
Speaker 1: us today, We hope you enjoyed the story and learned
Speaker 1: a little something too. And since we know everyone has
Speaker 1: their own story, we'd love to hear yours. If you
Speaker 1: have an idea for a Lively Lois story, leave a
Speaker 1: comment on our Apple podcast review page with five stars,
Speaker 1: your idea, and your little one's name. Then maybe I next.
Speaker 1: We'll be with you until our next story time hangout
Speaker 1: ganerm I mean, we can't wait to share another fun,
Speaker 1: Lively Lewis story with you