Leland's Big Boy Words: How a Smart Boy Found His Voice

Once upon a time in a faraway land, there was a brave and very smart boy named Leland. Leland was a curious boy who loved to explore the world around him, but he had a problem. Leland could not use words and sentences to express himself, which made him very frustrated and angry. Leland tried to use gestures and sounds to communicate with others, but most people did not understand him. This made Leland feel very sad and isolated. One day, Leland went for a walk in the woods. He was feeling very angry, and he kicked a stone. Suddenly, he heard a strange noise coming from the stone. It was a tiny fairy! The fairy looked at Leland and said, "Why are you so angry, my dear? Is something bothering you?" Leland was surprised. He had never talked to a fairy before. He looked at the fairy and said, "Yes, I am angry. Nobody understands me because I cannot use words to talk. It's frustrating." The fairy looked at Leland and smiled. "I can help you," she said. "I can teach you how to use your big boy words to talk. Would you like that?" Leland nodded eagerly. "Yes, please! That would be wonderful!" he said. The fairy took out a magic wand and waved it over Leland's head. Suddenly, Leland felt a strange sensation. He felt like something inside him had changed. He looked at the fairy and said, "What did you do to me?" The fairy smiled and said, "I gave you the gift of speech, my dear. Now you can use words to talk and express yourself." Leland looked around and saw a squirrel watching him. He looked at the squirrel and said, "Hello, little squirrel. How are you today?" The squirrel looked surprised and then ran away. Leland laughed. He was very happy that he could finally talk. He ran home to tell his parents the good news. When he arrived, his parents were very surprised to see him talking. "Mom, Dad, I can talk!" he said excitedly. His parents were very happy for him. They hugged him and said, "We are so proud of you, Leland!" From that day on, Leland was a different boy. He talked to everyone he saw and expressed himself. He was no longer frustrated or angry. But now comes the funny twist in the story. One day, Leland was in the park with his friends. They were playing a game of hide and seek when Leland suddenly disappeared. His friends looked for him but could not find him. They searched the park, the playground, and the forest, but he was nowhere to be found. Finally, Leland's friends heard a voice coming from a tree. They looked up and saw Leland perched on a branch. "Leland, what are you doing up there?" they asked. Leland looked at them, smiled and said, "I'm playing hide and seek. Can you find me?" His friends looked at each other, rolled their eyes, and laughed. From that day on, Leland's friends knew that he would always use his words and express himself, even if he was playing a silly game of hide and seek. The moral of this story, my dear children, is to always use your words and express yourself. Don't be afraid to speak up, even if you think nobody is listening. Your words have power and can change the world around you. And remember, sometimes it's good to hide, but make sure your friends can find you! The end.