Ziggy and the Wiggly Feeling Ziggy the squirrel was tucked inside his cosy treehouse,
Wrapped in a blanket made of soft moss and leaves.
The forest outside was quiet,
With only the gentle rustle of leaves and a soft breeze humming through the branches.
But Ziggy wasn't feeling very quiet inside.
His tummy was doing funny flips,
His paws kept twitching,
And his mind was racing,
Thinking about tomorrow.
Tomorrow was a very big day.
It was tree-jumping day at forest school,
The day all the young animals tried leaping from one tree branch to another for the very first time.
Ziggy loved playing in the trees,
But jumping from one branch to another,
That felt different,
That felt big,
Huge!
He hugged his favourite stuffed pinecone,
Nicholas,
Close to his chest.
Nicholas!
Ziggy whispered.
What if I can't jump far enough?
What if I fall?
What if I'm not brave like the other squirrels?
He squeezed Nicholas tight,
Wishing the wiggly feeling in his tummy would just go away.
Just then,
The door to Ziggy's treehouse creaked open quietly.
It was Mama squirrel,
Carrying a little cup of warm acorn tea.
Still awake,
Little man?
She asked,
Sitting beside him.
I've got the wiggly feeling,
Ziggy said,
Frowning.
Mama smiled gently.
Ah,
The wiggly feeling.
That's your brain's way of telling you something important is coming.
Ziggy's ears perked up.
Really?
What do you mean?
Mama took a sip of her tea.
You know how sometimes when you're about to try something new or hard,
Your body feels funny?
Your tummy might twist or your paws might twitch.
That feeling is called stress.
But it's not a bad thing.
It's like a little alarm your brain sends to get you ready.
Ziggy blinked.
An alarm?
Like a fire alarm?
Not quite,
Mama laughed.
More like a superpower alarm.
A superpower alarm?
Ziggy's eyes grew wide.
Yes,
It goes off when your brain thinks something important is about to happen,
Like tree jumping day.
When it rings,
It helps your body get ready.
It gives you extra energy,
Sharpens your focus and even helps you to be brave.
Ziggy thought about that.
So the wiggly feeling is my superpower alarm?
That's right,
Mama said,
Wrapping an arm around him.
And you know what?
Every brave hero has one.
Sometimes the alarm feels a little loud or jumpy,
But it's trying to remind you to get ready.
Ziggy hugged Nicholas tighter.
But what if the alarm feels too big?
What if it scares me?
That's OK,
Mama said.
The alarm is just a helper.
Sometimes it gets too excited like a puppy who wants to play but doesn't know when to stop.
The trick is to teach it how to calm down when it gets too loud.
How do I do that?
Ziggy asked.
Well,
Mama said,
When your superpower alarm goes off,
You can take deep breaths to help it settle.
Pretend that you're blowing bubbles or sipping hot chocolate slowly and you need to blow on it first.
You can also talk to it.
Say,
Thanks for showing up,
But it's time to calm down now.
Ziggy smiled a little.
Can I give my superpower alarm a name?
Of course,
Mama smiled.
Ziggy thought for a moment.
I'm going to call it Captain Wiggles.
Mama laughed softly.
Perfect.
Now,
Whenever you feel the wiggles,
Just remember,
Captain Wiggles is there to help you be brave.
Ziggy snuggled deeper under his moss blanket,
Feeling a little lighter already.
The next morning,
The sun peeked through the leaves,
Warming Ziggy's treehouse.
He woke up with his usual wiggly tummy,
But this time he whispered,
Hello,
Captain Wiggles.
Let's try this.
He got dressed and ate his breakfast of crunchy nuts and berries,
Feeling his heart beat a little faster,
But also a little stronger.
At forest school,
All the young animals gathered by the big oak where the jumping would happen.
Ziggy looked at the branches stretched out like giant arms.
His paws twitched.
Captain Wiggles was buzzing inside.
Then his best friend William hopped over.
William looked excited,
But a little nervous too.
You ready for the big jump,
Ziggy?
William asked.
Ziggy nodded.
I'm trying to be.
I've got Captain Wiggles with me.
William grinned.
Me too.
I think the wiggles are our brave friends.
Their teacher called the animals together.
Remember,
Everyone,
It's OK to feel nervous.
That means you care.
Let's all take a deep breath together.
The animals all breathed in slowly through their noses and out through their mouths.
Ziggy closed his eyes and felt Captain Wiggles calm down a little.
Then one by one,
The animals took their turns.
When it was Ziggy's turn,
His paws felt a little shaky,
But he whispered,
Thanks,
Captain Wiggles,
But I'm ready.
He looked at the branch ahead,
Took a deep breath and jumped.
For a moment,
He felt like flying.
He landed safely on the next branch,
Heart pounding with excitement.
He turned to William,
Who was cheering and smiled wildly.
That night,
Back in his treehouse,
Ziggy snuggled with Nicholas again.
Captain Wiggles was really helpful today,
Ziggy said quietly.
Mama came in to tuck him in.
I'm proud of you,
Brave little squirrel.
Ziggy yawned.
I think I'm learning that the wiggly feeling isn't so scary after all.
That's right,
Mama said.
Every time you listen to Captain Wiggles and take a deep breath,
You're training your brain to be brave and strong.
Ziggy's eyes were closing now,
Like superhero training.
Exactly,
Mama whispered,
Kissing his forehead.
As Ziggy drifted off to sleep,
He dreamed of soaring through the trees,
Feeling the breeze on his fur and knowing that no matter what,
He had Captain Wiggles by his side,
Helping him be brave,
Helping him grow.
Now that's the end of the story.
But have you ever had a wiggly feeling like Ziggy?
What was it trying to help you with?
And next time it shows up,
What do you think you might say to it?
