Barnaby the Bee and the Surprisingly Sunny Meadow: A Story About Positive Thinking
One morning, peering at the sky, Barnaby gloomily announced: ‘‘It’s raining today again, and it will rain the whole summer, I’m sure. The flowers won’t
have any nectar, and we’ll never fill the honeycombs!’’
His friends tried to cheer him up, as usual. ‘‘But Barnaby,’’ they buzzed, ‘‘it isn’t so bad. It’s just a light rain. It will be gone soon! Look, the flowers are still blooming!’’
Barnaby, however, just sighed. ‘‘But what if the wind blows them away?’’ he worried.
Later that day, a new bee named Betty arrived in the hive. She was unlike any bee Barnaby had met before. Her wings shimmered with a golden glow, her big blue eyes sparkling with hope, and her voice chirped with optimism, also known as positive thinking.
‘‘Hello everyone!’’ she buzzed excitedly. ‘‘Today is going to be a great day! I can’t wait to see all the beautiful flowers, collect the sweetest nectar, and make delicious honey!’’
Barnaby, skeptical as usual, teased her. ‘‘Good luck with that. I saw humans mowing the lawns earlier. What if there aren’t any flowers left?’’
Betty simply smiled. ‘‘I’m sure we’ll find something!’’
Barnaby, however, still had doubts, so he kept pushing. ‘‘I heard the meadow is full of spider nets, where you could get stuck, and the big bad spider
would eat you. That sounds way too dangerous, doesn’t it?’’
But Betty stood her ground, always believing in the best possible outcome. ‘‘Don’t worry, Barnaby, I am sure we’ll be okay. There are plenty of safe places around and lots of our bee friends go out all the time, and they return safely back to the beehive. We can be careful, too!’’
Barnaby hesitated, unsure how to respond. He’d never met a bee who looked on the bright side so much.
Seeing Barnaby’s frown, Betty buzzed closer. ‘‘Come on, little buddy,’’ she chirped, ‘‘let’s go see for ourselves!’’
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In the story, Betty showed Barnaby the beauty of the meadow by having a positive attitude. Can you think of a time when someone helped you
see the bright side of things? Maybe when your parent comforted you after your toy broke, or your teacher encouraged you? What happened? (This question encourages readers to reflect on positive experiences with encouragement from others.)