Down by the swamp lived Gus the Alligator, the self-proclaimed smartest reptile in town. Gus thought he knew everything; to snap the loudest, swim the fastest, and even balance frogs on his nose. One sunny morning, Gus announced,
“Every great alligator needs an apprentice! Who will learn the Art of Being Amazing from me?”
Most animals hid behind reeds, worried about Gus’s bossy ways. But a tiny turtle named Timmy raised his little foot and said,
“I’ll do it! I’m small, but I can learn.”
Gus grinned. “Perfect. From today, you are my official apprentice!”
Lessons in Snapping
The first lesson was Snapping Like a True Alligator. Gus showed off his enormous jaws and shouted, “Snap with power, snap with pride!”
Timmy gave it a try: “Snap!” but it sounded more like a hiccup.
All the frogs burst out laughing, and even Gus’s tail thumped with amusement.
“Don’t worry,” Gus said, “a snap takes years of practice. But at least you didn’t bite your own shell!”
Timmy puffed up proudly. He hadn’t snapped like Gus, but he also hadn’t lost a toe. That was progress.
The Apprentice Outsmarts the Master
The next lesson was How to Scare Birds Away from Your Lunch. Gus stomped, growled, and flicked his tail. The birds flew off in a flurry.
“Your turn!” he barked.
Timmy waddled to the log and shouted, “BOO!” The birds didn’t even blink. Instead, they chirped louder.
Thinking quickly, Timmy had another idea. He scattered crumbs from his lunch into the reeds, and the birds flew away to follow the snack trail.
The swamp animals clapped. “That’s smarter than scaring them!”
Gus blinked. For the first time, he wondered if maybe he could learn something from Timmy.
A Swampy Surprise
Word spread that Gus had an apprentice, and all the swamp animals came to watch their lessons. Some expected Gus to snap and roar. Others wanted to see Timmy fail.
But one afternoon, when Gus tried showing off his Big Belly Flop Splash, he got stuck in the mud. The harder he wriggled, the deeper he sank.
“Oh no! The mighty master is sinking!” cried the frogs.
Timmy didn’t panic. He called the birds, the frogs, and even the fireflies. Working together, they tugged on vines and pulled Gus free.
Covered in mud, Gus laughed. “Well, Timmy, it looks like the master needed the apprentice after all.”
From that day on, Gus stopped being bossy and became a little humbler. Timmy remained his apprentice, but everyone in the swamp knew the truth: sometimes the smallest teacher can make the biggest difference.
The End !
