Hello my sweet listener.
Welcome to Storytime with Nana Jojo.
I'm so happy you're here.
I'm Nana Jojo,
And I have another wonderful story to share with you today.
But first,
Let's get cozy.
Grab your favorite stuffie.
Wrap up in your softest blanket.
And snuggle in nice and tight.
Okay,
Now let's take some slow deep breaths together.
Remember,
When we breathe slowly,
Our bodies feel calm and relaxed.
So take a big breath in through your nose.
And breathe out with a happy sigh like this.
Ahhhhhhhhhhhhh Let's do that again.
Big breath in.
And breathe out.
Ahhhhhhhhhhhhh One more time.
Big breath in.
And breathe out.
Ahhhhhhhhhhhhh Super duper job.
Do you feel nice and relaxed?
Yay,
I do too!
Okay,
My sweet little one,
It's time for our story.
This is another story about Danny the Magic Dragon.
The kind and gentle dragon whose magic sparkles bring warm light,
And wonder to everyone he meets.
In today's story,
Danny wants to learn something new.
And it doesn't go so well at first.
But Danny discovers that trying again and again.
Is exactly how we get better at something.
Are you ready?
Okay,
Let's begin.
Once upon a time,
In a cozy cave nestled between two mountains,
There lived a little dragon named Danny.
Danny lived with his mom,
His dad,
And his little sister Daisy.
Danny loved his family very,
Very much.
Danny had purple scales that sparkled like jewels in the sunlight.
And big eyes that glowed with their very own special light.
But there was one thing that made Danny different from the other dragons.
While his mom,
His dad,
And even his little sister Daisy could breathe big,
Bright flames of fire.
Danny breathed sparkles.
Tiny,
Colorful,
Swirling sparkles in gold,
Purple,
Pink,
And blue.
One sunny afternoon.
Danny flew to the big oak tree to play with his friends.
When he landed,
He saw something new.
A shimmering silver ring.
Hanging between two low branches.
What's that?
Danny asked.
He had never seen it before.
And something about trying a brand new game made him feel very excited.
It's the star ring,
Said Ruby the dragon.
And she held up a small berry that sparkled and glowed like a tiny star.
You flick a strawberry with your tail,
And if it goes through the ring,
You get a point.
Watch!
Ruby flicked her tail and the strawberries sailed through the air.
And it dropped right through the middle of the ring.
Yes,
Ruby cheered.
My turn,
Danny said eagerly.
He picked up a strawberry.
Flicked his tail just the way Ruby had.
And the strawberry flew sideways.
It missed the ring completely and bounced off into the grass.
That's okay,
Try again,
Danny,
Ruby said kindly.
Danny picked up another strawberry.
He flicked his tail again.
The strawberry didn't even make it close this time.
It barely even left the ground.
Danny tried a third time.
A fourth time?
A fifth time.
Not one single strawberry went through the ring.
Danny's tail was starting to feel tired.
And his cheeks were starting to feel warm and prickly with frustration.
You made it look so easy,
Danny said to Ruby.
He was feeling a little grumpy.
How come you never miss?
I miss all the time,
Ruby said surprised.
I just don't miss as much as I used to.
Freddy the fox,
Who had been watching from under a tree,
Nodded.
Ruby's been practicing the star ring almost every day since spring.
Remember when you couldn't even fling this strawberry past your own feet,
Ruby?
Ruby laughed.
Oh,
Please,
Freddy,
Don't remind me.
Danny didn't know that.
He had only seen Ruby play the star ring today,
When her aim was smooth and sure.
I think I'm just bad at this,
Danny mumbled,
Sitting down in the grass.
Maybe some dragons are just born good at the Star Ring.
And some dragons aren't.
Danny said.
Maybe you just started today.
Daisy said gently,
Landing beside her brother.
That's different than being bad at it.
But Danny didn't feel like trying again.
He picked up his backpack.
And he flew home instead.
His wings feeling heavier than normal.
That evening,
Danny sat in his cozy corner of the cave,
Poking at a small pile of sand instead of playing.
Danny's mom noticed and came and sat down beside him.
You seem quiet tonight,
Danny.
Is everything okay?
I tried the star ring game today.
Danny said.
Everybody else could do it.
I tried and I tried,
And I never got the strawberry through the ring.
Not even once.
My tail got tired and my face got hot.
And I just wanted to stop.
That happens almost every time we try something new.
Mom said gently.
The very first time we try something,
It usually feels hard because it is brand new.
To our body and to our brain.
How many times do you think you tried?
Mom asked.
Danny thought about it.
A lot.
Maybe 10.
Maybe even more than that.
And on any of those tries,
Did your strawberry get even a little closer to the ring than the try before?
Mom asked.
Danny paused and thought.
I don't know,
Mom.
It wasn't really looking at that.
I was just looking at all the times I missed.
Mom's eyes glowed warm and soft.
The way they did when she had something important to share.
Can I tell you a little secret about learning something new?
Mom-ass Danny.
Danny nodded.
Nobody flicks their very first strawberry through the ring,
Danny.
Not one dragon in the whole whispering woods.
Ruby didn't.
And I didn't when I was younger.
The dragons who make it look easy have flicked hundreds and hundreds of strawberries.
So many they probably couldn't even count them all.
You only got to see Ruby on a day when all that practicing had already happened.
You didn't get to see her when she was just starting out.
She missed plenty of times when she first started.
So she missed a whole lot too?
Danny asked.
Oh yes,
So,
So many times,
Mom said.
Missing isn't a sign that you're bad at the star ring,
Danny.
It's just what happens when you're learning something brand new.
Every single flick of your tail.
Even the ones that go nowhere near the ring.
Teach us your tail and your eyes a bit more how to aim.
Danny looked down at his claws,
Thinking about his ten tries in a whole new way now.
So even the bad flicks counted for something,
He asked his mom.
Every single one,
" Mom said.
You didn't waste your afternoon,
Danny.
You spent it teaching your body something brand new.
That's what practice is.
It's not about getting it perfect right away.
It's about trying again and again.
Until your body starts to understand a little more each time.
But what if I practice and practice and it still doesn't work?
Danny asked his mom.
Mom thought about this honestly,
Because Mom never liked to promise things that weren't quite true.
Well.
.
.
Some days will feel easier than others,
" she said.
And some days you might try and try and still not get a single strawberry through the ring.
That happens to every dragon.
Even the ones you've been practicing for a long time.
But here's what I know for sure.
Every time you try,
You get a little more used to trying.
Your tail remembers.
Your eyes remember.
And even on the hard days,
You're closer than you were before you started.
Danny sat quietly for a moment.
Letting all that settle in.
I think I want to try again tomorrow,
Mom,
" he said.
I think that's exactly how a starring dragon gets made,
" Mom said,
Smiling.
The very next afternoon.
Danny flew straight back to the big oak tree.
Ruby,
Freddy,
And Daisy were already there.
I'm going to keep trying,
Danny announced,
Picking up a strawberry.
Even if I miss a lot.
That's the spirit,
" Ruby said,
Grinning.
Danny flicked his tail.
The strawberry sailed up.
And miss the ring by just a little less than yesterday.
He tried again.
This one bounced right off the edge of the ring.
You're getting closer.
Daisy called out.
Danny kept going.
Some flicks went too far.
And some didn't go far enough.
But Danny noticed a tiny difference each time he tried.
The strawberry was getting closer and closer to the middle of the ring.
On his ninth try,
Danny flicked his tail just right.
The strawberries sailed up in a smooth arc,
Glowing softly against the sky.
And it dropped right through the middle of the star ring.
I did it!
Danny shouted,
And his purple scales lit up with sparkles.
You did it,
Ruby cheered,
Flying a little loop in the air.
That was amazing,
Freddy called out.
Danny looked at the ring and then at his own tail like it belonged to somebody new.
Nine tries,
He said,
Mostly to himself.
It took nine tries today.
And a whole lot more yesterday.
And it'll probably take a lot more tomorrow,
Too,
Before you get really good at it,
" Ruby said honestly.
I still miss all the time.
But it feels different now,
Doesn't it?
Missing doesn't feel as bad anymore.
Danny thought about that.
Ruby was right.
All the misses today didn't make him want to quit and fly home like they did yesterday.
They just felt like a part of getting to that one good flick.
I think I'll come back and practice more tomorrow,
Too,
Said Danny,
Picking up another strawberry with a smile.
That evening.
When Danny told his family about his one successful flick through the star ring,
His mom's eyes glowed warm and proud.
Nine tries,
She said.
Not one,
Nine.
And every single one of them helped.
Danny beamed with happiness.
Tomorrow his tail would get another turn.
The end.
And so my sweet listener.
What did we learn from Danny's adventure today?
We learned that missing isn't a sign that we're bad at something.
Missing is just what practicing looks like.
We learned that the dragons and the people who make hard things look easy have practiced so many times.
We just don't get to see all their misses.
And we learned that every try.
Even the ones that don't work.
Teaches our bodies and our minds a little more.
Trying something new can feel a little scary.
Or even a little discouraging,
Especially when we compare our very first try to someone who's already tried a hundred times.
It's easy to think we should already be good at something the moment we try something new.
But nobody is good at a new thing on the very first day.
Not Ruby.
Not Danny.
Not anybody.
The very first try is supposed to feel hard.
It's supposed to feel wobbly.
That's not a sign to stop.
It's just what the beginning of something new always feels like.
So here's a little question for you.
Is there something new you've been wanting to try?
Or maybe something you've been trying to learn that hasn't come so easily.
Maybe it's tying your shoes.
Maybe it's riding a bike.
Or writing your letters.
Or maybe it's learning a brand new game you've never played before.
Whatever it is.
Remember Danny's many tries and know that you're allowed to be a beginner.
You're allowed to keep practicing too,
Just like Danny.
Most of all,
Always remember that Nana Jojo loves you so very much.
And I'll be right here when you're ready for another story.
And if it's time to go to sleep now.
I'm wishing you the sweetest and happiest dreams,
My little love.
Sleep tight.
I'll see you again very soon.
Good night.
