Believe in yourself!

By Manoshi De Silva

'Chooty' the duckling sat near the lake and stared at the clear blue water. He was not feeling happy at all. He couldn't swim. He was scared of the water. "I'll never learn how to swim!" thought Chooty. "But, I really don't understand why I get the feeling, that I should try and learn how to swim. Something tells me that I'll be a good swimmer!"

A frog hopped on top of a rock near Chooty. "Why do you look so unhappy?" he asked Chooty. "Because I can't swim," answered Chooty. "Oh, it's such an easy thing to do. I love to swim!" said the frog. "You also live on the land like I do. How did you learn how to swim in the water?" asked Chooty.

"Although I live on land, I grew up in the water," said the frog. "I was born from an egg and I grew up as a tadpole, living and swimming in the water."

"I was also born from an egg," said Chooty. "But you didn't grow up in the water, so I don't think you'll be able to swim!" said the frog. He then jumped into the water and swam away smoothly.

Chooty felt sadder. "The frog must be right," he said to himself. A fish splashed in the water and peeped out from the lake. "Why do you look so sad?" she asked Chooty. "I can't swim," said Chooty. "I was born from an egg, just like the frog, but I grew up on land. So the frog said that I won't be able to swim!"  

"I was also born from an egg and I also grew up in the water just like the frog!" said the fish. "Maybe the frog is right. You shouldn't try to swim," saying that the fish splashed in the water and dived deep into the lake. "They were both born from eggs but they grew up in the water. I was also born from an egg but I grew up on land. I don't think I have the ability that they have to swim," Chooty sighed sadly.    

By now Chooty was very sure that he shouldn't even try to swim. "I was also born from an egg and I grew up on land, but I am also a good swimmer!" said someone. Chooty looked around in surprise. "Who said that?" There was no one to be seen. "I heard what the frog and the fish said. But you shouldn't doubt yourself by comparing yourself with them!" said the voice again.

By now Chooty was very confused, "who said that?" he asked again, looking around. "I did," said the voice again. Among a pile of rocks was a tortoise. His shell looked like a rock. "You should get into the water and swim," he told Chooty wisely. "But the frog and the fish both said that I shouldn't try to swim because I grew up on land," said Chooty.

The tortoise laughed. "If you listen to all the negative things said by others, you'll never be able to do anything. They don't know what your talents and abilities are. You are the one who knows all about it." The tortoise shook his head, "If I also listened to others and compared myself with them, I would have been just like you. But instead, I believed in myself and got into the water and tried. I didn't let what others say stop me from doing what I believed I could!"

"So, can you swim now?" asked Chooty. "Of course I can," said the tortoise getting into the water. He swam around the lake and came back near Chooty. "Always believe in yourself and don't compare yourself with others!" he said and drifted away in the water.

Chooty decided to be brave. He looked at his little webbed feet and his water-resistant fluffy little yellow feathers. "I have all that I need to become a good swimmer!" he said. "The only thing that I didn't have was courage. I listened to the negative comments by others and compared myself with them. I shouldn't do that. Instead I should believe in myself!"

Chooty slowly got into the cold water. Before he knew it, he was paddling with his little feet and moving forward like a little boat. "Well-done!" shouted the tortoise, while the frog and fish watched Chooty swim, in surprise.

"All I need to do is believe in myself and prevent others from stopping me, when I know I can do it, deep down in my heart!" Chooty quacked happily, "I am so glad that I got into the water and tried to swim. I would have never known that I was this good at swimming, if I never tried. I must trust in my talents and abilities and never doubt myself!"