Courage was a little Explorer. He wore a round yellow hat and a tiny blue backpack. In his backpack were a red apple, a soft rope, and a shiny map.
Courage lived beside the Jungle. The Jungle was big, green, and warm. Leaves went swish, swish. Monkeys went oo-oo. Bright birds went flap, flap.
One morning, King came to see Courage. King was a gentle old tiger with a gold crown. He was the king of the Jungle, but he liked to sit on low rocks and share mangoes.
“Courage,” said King, “my Sun Bell is gone.”
“Oh,” said Courage.
The Sun Bell hung in the tallest tree. Every morning, it rang: ding-ding! Then the flowers opened. The butterflies woke up. The Jungle smiled.
But today there was no ding-ding.
The flowers stayed closed. Little fireflies bumped into leaves because it was still dim.
“I will find it,” said Courage. His knees felt a little wobbly, but his voice was kind and strong.
King smiled. “You are small, Explorer. But you have a big brave heart.”
Courage and King followed the shiny map. They walked past red flowers. They crossed a bubbly stream on round stones. Plop. Plop. Plop.
Then they found a purple feather.
“Who has purple feathers?” asked Courage.
“Maybe Sorcerer,” said King softly.
Sorcerer lived near the deep part of the Jungle. He wore a purple cloak and a tall, floppy hat. Sometimes he made silly magic. Sometimes he made trouble because he felt lonely.
Courage took a slow breath. “We can ask nicely.”
At last, they came to a cave behind a silver waterfall. Inside, blue mushrooms glowed. In the middle sat Sorcerer.
And there was the Sun Bell.
But it did not look happy. It was covered in sticky jungle vine.
“Sorcerer,” said Courage, “did you take the bell?”
Sorcerer looked down at his purple shoes. “I did,” he said. “I wanted to hear ding-ding all by myself. But the vines grabbed it. Now my magic cannot pull them off.”
King made a small growl. Courage put one hand on King’s warm paw.
“We can help,” said Courage.
Sorcerer blinked. “Help me?”
“Yes,” said Courage. “But then the bell goes back to the tall tree.”
“Yes,” whispered Sorcerer.
Courage opened his little backpack. First, he gave Sorcerer the red apple. “For energy.”
Then Courage tied his soft rope around the biggest vine. King held the rope with his strong tiger paws. Sorcerer tapped his wand and said, “Wiggle-woggle, vines be gentle!”
The vines wriggled. They did not let go.
Courage had an idea. “King, can you hum?”
King hummed a deep, cozy hum. Mmmmmm.
“Can you make a soft breeze?” Courage asked Sorcerer.
Sorcerer waved his wand. Whoooosh, went a tiny breeze.
The bell began to move. Ding... ding...
The vines liked the sound. They swayed left. They swayed right. They loosened their green hugs.
“Now!” cried Courage.
King pulled. Sorcerer blew. Courage tugged with both hands.
Pop!
The Sun Bell was free.
“Yay!” said Courage.
“Yay!” said King.
“Yay!” said Sorcerer, and his floppy hat fell over his eyes.
They all giggled.
Together, they carried the bell back through the Jungle. The monkeys clapped. The birds flew beside them. Even the sleepy flowers peeked open.
King placed the Sun Bell in the tallest tree. Courage gave it one little tap.
Ding-ding!
Golden light poured over the Jungle. Flowers opened wide. Butterflies danced. Fireflies sparkled like tiny stars.
King lifted a small wooden box from behind the tree. “For Courage, our brave Explorer.”
Inside was a treasure: a golden compass with a blue button.
“Press it,” said King.
Courage pressed the button.
The compass said, “This way to wonder!”
Courage laughed. “It talks!”
Sorcerer gave Courage a tiny purple feather. “This is a magic feather,” he said. “It will tickle your nose if you forget to be brave.”
Courage put the compass and feather in his backpack.
Then King shared mangoes. Sorcerer made the mango slices dance in a silly circle. Courage watched the bright Jungle and heard the happy bell.
Ding-ding!
Courage was still little.
But he knew something big.
When a problem comes, you can take a breath, ask for help, and try together.
And with his talking compass, Courage was ready for the next Jungle adventure.