Once upon a time there was a very special girl named Ema. Ema was eight years old and wanted to be a dancer. Her mother was a very good dancer and Ema wanted to be like her, but Ema didn’t know how to dance. Ema could read, write, ride a bike and swim, but she couldn’t dance.

One day, Ema went to school and told her class that she wanted to be a dancer. Some of the boys in her class laughed at her. One of the bad boys, Cristiano, told her: – You’ll never be a dancer! You do not know how to dance!

Ema was very upset and ran away from her school. She came to a forest and then stopped. She saw a turtle and a dog talking to each other and when they saw her they walked towards Ema.

The turtle: – Hello! I am Tomás and this is Simon, the dog. What is your name?

Emma: – I’m Emma. Nice to meet you!

Simon the dog: – How did you get here?

Ema explained her story of telling her class that she wanted to be a dancer and that some people were being mean to her about it.

Simon the dog: – Well, Tomás the turtle, and I can teach you to dance!

Emma: – Really? Yes, please!

For many days Ema went to the forest and Tomas the turtle and Simon the dog taught her to dance. After school she would go to the forest and return home before dinner. On rainy days and sunny days they danced. The three friends spent hours learning new things and Ema was dancing well.

After a month of learning to dance in the woods, Ema found out that her school was hosting a talent show. Ema knew this was her chance to dance in the contest.

So, she wrote her name on the entry sheet and wrote that she would dance in the contest. Cristiano saw her write her name and approached her and said: – You still can’t dance! You will lose in the contest!

Ema just smiled at him and said: – Wait and see!

That day, after school, she went back to the forest and told Tomas the turtle and Simon the dog what had happened. They helped her create a dance routine and prepared her for the talent show.

When the day of the talent show came, Ema was called as the last artist. She walked to the front of the theater and climbed onto the stage. She walked to the center of the stage and stood in her spot, waiting for the music to start. When the music started, she started to dance. She danced very well on stage. Once his performance was over, everyone in the audience applauded. The winners were announced and Ema won first place. Emma was very proud.

The next day, Ema went to the forest to visit Tomás the turtle and Simón the dog and told them about her prize. They were also proud of her and the new friends danced all afternoon.

Moral: Hard work pays off.

Media Attribution

• Illustrations by Kaja Antic