One night, Lion was getting ready to go to sleep. He read his favourite bedtime story and sang his favourite bedtime song. He turned on his night-light to keep the room cosy. But then, he heard a strange sound… Tap! … Tap!
“What’s that sound?” Lion whispered to himself. Tap! … Tap! “That sound… it’s coming from outside the window!” Feeling a bit scared, he climbed out of bed. He picked up a baseball bat and tip-toed towards the window. Tappity-tap! TAP!
“It’s a monster!” Lion thought. He quickly grabbed his bicycle helmet and put it on to feel safer. The sound came again… TAP! … TAP! … Tappity-TAP! Lion started to panic. “The monster is getting closer! It sounds like the BIGGEST, SCARIEST monster ever!”
Tap! … Tap! … Tappity-tap! TAPPITY-TAP! TAPPITY-TAPPITY-TAPPITY…. TAP! “EEEK!” Lion squealed. He ran away from the window and hid under his bed. He pulled a blanket over his head and held his baseball bat tightly.
Just then, Tappity tap!… A little frog jumped up on the window sill. The frog was wearing a tutu and tap shoes. She danced a little dance. Tap tap tappity tap!
“Hello Lion! Are you in there?” said the frog. She looked through the window and saw Lion hiding under the bed. Lion was wrapped in a blanket, wearing a bicycle helmet, and holding a baseball bat. He looked a bit silly. (And to be honest, he felt a bit silly too.)
“Ummm… I have some new dance moves to show you,” said the frog. “But you look busy. I will come back later. See ya!” The frog hopped down to the ground and happily danced away. Tap-TAP! Tappity-tappity-TAP!
Moral: Sometimes our imaginations make things scarier than they really are.
Imagination vs. Reality: Ask the children to draw two pictures. In the first picture, they should draw what they imagine a monster might look like based on the sounds they hear at night. In the second picture, they should draw what the sound might actually be, like a friendly animal or a tree branch tapping on the window. Discuss how our imaginations can sometimes make things seem scarier than they are.
Sound Detective: Encourage the children to become “sound detectives” at home. Ask them to listen carefully to different sounds they hear, especially at night. They should try to identify each sound and guess what might be making it. The next day, have them share their findings with the class. This activity helps them understand that not all sounds are scary and can often be explained.
Role Play: Organize a simple role-play activity where one child acts as the “frightened lion” and another as the “friendly frog.” Let them act out the story, focusing on how the lion feels before and after meeting the frog. This helps children understand emotions and how facing fears can sometimes lead to new friendships.
**The Frightened Lion**
(A version of the tale by TheFableCottage.com)
One night, Lion is getting ready for bed. He reads his favorite bedtime story and sings his favorite bedtime song. He turns on his night-light. Then — he hears a sound… Tap! … Tap! “What’s that sound?” he whispers. Tap! … Tap! “That sound… it’s coming from outside the window!” He climbs out of bed. He grabs a baseball bat and tip-toes towards the window. Tappity-tap! TAP! “It’s a monster!” he thinks. He grabs his bicycle helmet and puts it on for protection. He hears the sound again… TAP! … TAP! … Tappity-TAP! Lion panics. “The monster is getting closer! It sounds like the BIGGEST, SCARIEST monster ever!” Tap! … Tap! … Tappity-tap! TAPPITY-TAP! TAPPITY-TAPPITY-TAPPITY…. TAP! “EEEK!” Lion squeals. He runs away from the window and hides under the bed. He pulls a blanket over his head. He holds his baseball bat tightly in his hands, and…. Tappity tap!… A little frog jumps up on the window sill. The frog is wearing a tutu and tap shoes. She dances a little dance. Tap tap tappity tap! “Hello Lion! Are you in there?” says the frog. She looks through the window and sees Lion hiding under the bed. Lion is wrapped in a blanket, wearing a bicycle helmet, and holding a baseball bat. He looks a bit silly. (And to be honest, he feels a bit silly too.) “Ummm… I have some new dance moves to show you,” says the frog. “But you look busy. I will come back later. See ya!” The frog hops down to the ground and happily dances away. Tap-TAP! Tappity-tappity-TAP!
**Moral:** Sometimes our imaginations make things scarier than they really are.
