In the early morning sunlight, Timmy the Turtle stood at the edge of what used to be his home river. Where clear water once flowed, there was now only dry, cracked mud. “Oh no,” he whispered, his bright eyes filled with concern. “What happened to our river?”
The morning breeze rustled through the leaves above, but no water trickled over the stones. Timmy could see other forest animals gathering nearby, all looking worried. Small birds hopped from branch to branch, whispering about their thirst. A family of rabbits sat sadly by the dried riverbed, their ears drooping.
“Someone needs to find out what happened to our water,” Timmy said, his voice growing stronger. He looked up at the path that led to the mountains where the river began. Though he was small, Timmy knew he had to be brave. “I will go and see what’s wrong,” he announced.
As Timmy began his journey upriver, the forest animals gathered to watch him go. “Be careful!” called a small rabbit. “The mountain path is very steep!” warned a wise old owl. But Timmy kept walking, one determined step at a time.
The path grew steeper and steeper. Sometimes Timmy had to climb over big rocks, and other times he had to rest in the shade of tall trees. But he never thought about giving up. “Left foot, right foot, left foot, right foot,” he said to himself, keeping his pace steady.
Along the way, he met other animals who told him about the dried-up river. “We haven’t seen water flow for three days,” said a squirrel. “Please help us,” chirped a small bird. These words made Timmy walk even faster, despite his tired legs.
Finally, Timmy reached the mountain stream – or where the stream should have been. His eyes grew wide with surprise. There, lying across the water’s path, was an enormous sleeping giant! The giant’s body was like a mountain itself, covered in moss and small trees. His loud snores echoed off the mountain walls.
Timmy looked up at the giant’s peaceful face and the long grey beard that moved with each snore. Above the giant, he could see the stream’s water building up, unable to flow past. “That’s why our river is dry!” Timmy realized. “But how can I wake such a big giant?”
Taking a deep breath, Timmy began to climb the rocks near the giant’s ear. It was the biggest climb he had ever attempted, but he knew all the forest animals were counting on him. When he finally reached the top, he stood as tall as he could and called out in his bravest voice: “Excuse me, Mr. Giant! Please wake up!”
The giant’s eyes slowly opened. “Oh my,” he said in a deep, kind voice. “Did I fall asleep in the river again?” He carefully sat up, making sure not to disturb any of the small creatures living in his beard. The moment he moved, the water began to flow freely down the mountain.
Timmy watched with joy as the crystal-clear water rushed past him, heading down to the forest. The giant smiled at the small turtle. “Thank you for waking me, little one. You are very brave for such a tiny turtle.”
Back in the forest, the animals cheered as water returned to the riverbed. Flowers along the banks lifted their heads, fish jumped happily in the fresh water, and everyone celebrated Timmy’s bravery. From that day on, whenever anyone spoke of the brave little turtle who saved the river, Timmy would smile, knowing that even the smallest animal can be a big hero.