Benny was a little alien ball, sent to Earth by his parents to make new friends with the animals here. Benny was a bit shy and introverted, keeping to himself most of the time. The animals at Breathing Land all lived together in a cozy little forest, and their leader was Kyle, a smart, clever, and hardworking koala. Benny would often watch them from afar, really wanting to join in their games, but he noticed something—he looked so different from them. He didn’t have legs to jump and play, or beautiful wings to fly, or soft, fuzzy fur. This made Benny feel really self-conscious.
One day, the animals at Breathing Land planned a fun picnic together. Benny wanted so much to join them that he finally gathered up all his courage and tried to shape himself into a “mini Kyle.” He pretended to be Kyle’s cousin from the other side of the forest. But since Benny was an alien, even though he said he was Kyle's cousin, the other animals quickly noticed something wasn’t quite right.
Kyle’s arms were made for climbing trees, but this “cousin” could wave his arms and actually fly! Kyle’s fur was thick and cozy, but Benny’s fur was short and a little prickly. Kyle asked the “cousin” where he lived, and the cousin nervously replied, “I live on the other side of the forest.” Kyle then asked, “What kind of games do you play over there?” Benny, trying to remember bits of conversations he’d overheard, made up a story: “We like to row boats in the ice during winter, build snowmen in summer, and sunbathe at night.” The animals all looked at each other and said, “You’re not telling the truth! It’s summer now—there’s no snow! You’re not Kyle’s cousin at all! We don’t want to play with you!”
Hearing this, Benny’s heart sank, and he couldn’t hold back his tears. He melted back into his original round shape, crying, “I really wanted to play with you, but I thought I was too different, and you wouldn’t like me.” The little animals exchanged surprised looks, and then Kyle, with a warm and gentle voice, said, “Why would we ever think that? We think you’re really cool! You might not have legs to run or wings to fly, but you can roll around super fast, and you can bounce really high. That’s something none of us can do!”
Just then, as the sky began to darken and night fell around them, the little animals huddled close to Benny. Suddenly, Benny’s body began to glow, casting a soft, gentle light that lit up the night. The animals gasped in amazement, “Wow, you can light up in the dark! With you around, we’ll never be scared of the dark again!”
The animals all cheered and welcomed Benny into their Breathing School family with big smiles and open arms. Benny’s face brightened with a peaceful, happy smile, and he let out a long, contented sigh, saying, “Everything will be okay.”