Once upon a time, in the heart of the Enchanted Forest where the trees wore leaves as big as umbrellas, lived a kind boy named Elijah. His laughter sounded like tiny bells tinkling, and his hair curled like the springs of a brand-new toy. Every morning, he’d skip past the mushrooms that smelled like buttery popcorn, their caps wobbling with the *plop-plop* of dew drops.

One sunny afternoon, Elijah heard a sound that made his toes wiggle—*splash-splosh!* It was the Giggly River, a sparkling stream that giggled when the wind tickled its surface. The water shimmered like liquid silver, and the pebbles at the bottom looked like candy-coated jewels. But Elijah’s tummy did a little flip. The river was *deep*, and he’d never put his head underwater before. What if he turned into a fish? Or worse—what if he forgot how to breathe?

"Pssst!" A voice squeaked from a bush. Out hopped a frog named Ferdinand, his green skin as bumpy as a Lego brick. He wore a tiny crown of daisies that smelled like fresh-cut grass. "You’re missing the best part!" Ferdinand croaked, pointing to the river. "The water’s so clear, you can see the tickle-fish tickling your toes!"

Elijah bit his lip. "But… what if I sink like a rock?"

Ferdinand grinned, his long tongue flicking out to catch a fly with a *snap!* "Rocks don’t wear shoes, silly!" He plopped into the water with a *kerplunk!* and bobbed up like a cork. "See? Even *I* float!"

Elijah giggled, but his feet stayed glued to the riverbank, where the mud squished between his toes like warm pudding. The water lapped at his ankles, sending shivers up his legs. *Brrr!* It was colder than his ice cream on a hot day. Then—*oh no!*—his favorite hat, the one with the floppy rabbit ears, tumbled off his head and drifted away. *Whoosh!*

"My hat!" Elijah wailed. Without thinking, he lunged forward—*splash!*—and his whole body plunged into the river. The water rushed over his head with a *glug-glug*, and for a second, everything was quiet. Then… *giggle-giggle!* Tiny bubbles tickled his nose, and when he opened his eyes, the world looked wobbly and green. A fish with polka-dot fins swam right up to his face and blew a raspberry. *Pfffft!*

Elijah burst out laughing, sending bubbles flying like tiny balloons. He kicked his legs, and—*whoa!*—he was swimming! The water held him up like a hug from the river. He spotted his hat caught on a lily pad, and with a big breath, he ducked under again. This time, he didn’t feel scared at all. The water was soft as a blanket, and the sunlight danced on the ripples like sparkly confetti.

When he popped back up, Ferdinand clapped his webbed hands. "You did it! Now you’re part of the Giggly River club!" Elijah beamed, his hair dripping like a wet mop. He wrung out his hat, and the rabbit ears flopped happily. From that day on, whenever he heard the *splash-splosh* of the river, his heart did a little dance. Because courage wasn’t about never being scared—it was about jumping in anyway, even if your knees wobbled like jelly.

The end.