Learn the Truth A Brite Star Bus Bunch Book Copyright © 2023 by The Brite Star Foundation, Inc., a 501 (c)3 All rights reserved. Published by The Brite Star Foundation, Inc. 11411 Southern Highlands Parkway Suite 338 Las Vegas, Nevada 89141 Vincent W. Goett, Publisher
ISBN Paperback
979-8-89750-274-5
Digital
979-8-89750-273-8
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Dani has flair. She’s used to giving her friends a thrill. She likes to make them laugh and hear them say things like, “Wow!” and, “Way to go!”
The sun shined bright through the windows of the CCDay Care Center while Dumaka, Tirza and Nanise played together on the rug. They were busily building a large structure with the wooden blocks while their mothers and their teacher Ms. Kathy huddled in the far corner ofthe room.
When Dani plays soccer, the kids at Brite Star School cheer and smile. She dribbles the ball and scores the winning goal. Dani is good at playing soccer. On Halloween, Dani has the most goosebump-enticing costume. The Brite Star Kids all jump and laugh. Dani is good atHalloween.
And in science class when everyone makes rockets, Dani makes hers with little toy dinosaurs that parachute to the ground. She putsher hands on her hips and smiles.
“Flair,” she says. Flair mostly feels like a really big frog jumping around in Dani’s chest. It feels like something that has to come out. And it usually does.
Tuesdays are for show-and-tell at Brite Star School. The Brite Star students each bring something fun to show or something interesting to tell. They take turns. The types of things students share go like this: Leo told about fishing with his grandfather. They caught eight fish! Marge showed everyone a large painting she and her dad had been working on for two whole weeks. Landon performed a magic trick.
“Presto!” he said.
One day during show-and-tell it was Dani’s turn. Mrs. Humphreys called her name, and Dani walked to the front of the room. Dani wasn’t nervous to stand in front of her friends. She wasn’t nervous to tellan exciting story. She wanted to hear everyone say, “Wow!” She was nervous about telling a boring story that lackedflair. Dani stood and faced her friends. She swallowed hard. Then she toldher story for show-and-tell. It was almost the truth. Sort of.
At first.
“There’s a kitten,” she said. “It comes to my bedroom window every night. I’m trying to be friends with him, because I think he needs a home.” Dani’s friends smiled and nodded, andAnita said, “Aww, sweet!”
And then Dani felt an uncomfortable sort of gulp in her throat. She felt her heart beating, which mostly felt like a really big frog jumping around in her chest. She felt like there was something that had to come out.
“But . . .” she paused, and then she thought, and then spoke. Very. Slowly. “I can’t be friends with him—” everyone’s eyes grew a little wider, “because—” gulp “I think he’s a wild cat!” she blurted. And the Brite Star Kids gasped. There it was.Flair.
“A bobcat,” Dani continued. “Not a house cat or a tame cat. And he’s purple! He came in my room when I was sleeping and tried to get into my closet, but I woke up and chased him out with a fly swatter. He’ll probably come back tonight.” Dani jumped around and waved her arms like she was swinging a fly swatter. Everyone lookedexcited. “Why does he want in your closet?” Landon asked. “I don’t know,” said Dani. “There’s something in therehe wants, though. He’ll probably come back every night untilhe finds it.”
Dani dropped her arms to her side and took a breath. She said, “That’s all,” and went back to her desk. Everyone clapped. Mrs. Humphreys looked at Dani. She said, “Are you sure there isn’tsomething more you would like to tell us?” Dani was not a person to tella lie. Was she? She looked at Mrs. Humphreys and said,“No, thank you.”
The next morning everyone wanted to know more about Dani’s bobcat. They wanted to know how many times she had seenhim. They wanted to know if she was afraid. They wanted to know what she planned to do if she ever caught him. Dani stood on a table so that everyone could see. She made big, dramatic gestures. She projected her voice across the room so everyone could hear.
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“It may not be a bobcat,” she said. “It may be something different. Like araccoon. Or a wombat! Yeah, it’s probably an angry wombat with angry eyes, and there is something in my closet he’strying to get.” “Wombats live in Australia,”Hudson said. “Well,” said Dani, “this one lives here. It’s definitely a wombat. Or maybe a bobcat.”And then . ..
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Anita said, “Aww, sweet!” andeveryone gasped. “What?” said Dani. “What!” And then she turned around. Behind her, staring in through the big glass window, was a kitten. A tiny kitten. A wide-eyed kitten with long whiskers and fuzzy gray fur. A kitten that was most definitely not an angry purple wombat. And it was staring straight at Dani. Meow? “Awwwww!” the classsaid.
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Mrs. Humphreys looked at Dani. She said, “Dani, is there maybe just one more thing you want to tell us about your story?” Yes.
Maybe. Just one more thing.
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“Everyone had such good things to share,” Dani said. “I justwanted something good to say,too. The truth,” Dani told them, “is that maybe I told alie.” Dani felt guilty about her story that was almost true until it most completely wasn’t. Shelooked at her friends and realized that she wanted them to say things like, “Wow!” but she wanted them to say,“Dani tells the truth,” too. She wanted to be the type of person her friends could trust.
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“Telling the truth isn’t always easy,” Mrs. Humphreys said. “Sometimes telling thetruth is hard. Sometimes telling the truth is a real challenge and takes a lot of something extra special. Sometimes telling the truth takes a lot of flair.” “Flair?” Dani piped. “Flair,” said Mrs. Humphreys.
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Think About It
1. Dani’s story for show-and-tell was not the truth. What story did Dani tell? 2. Wasany part of Dani’s story true? Which part? 3. Why do you think Dani twisted her story into a lie instead of simply telling the true story—that there wasa kitten coming to her window at night? 4. Have you ever stretched the truth because you wanted to tell a more exciting story? 5. If you could talk to Dani, what suggestions would you give her about telling the truth?
Let’s Work Together!
When we tell a lie, it’s important to fess up and make things right. Who can you talk to when you’ve told a lie and need help? We can work together to tell the truth!
I Will . . .
• Think before Ispeak and do my best to be honest. • Make thingsright when Itell a lie. Iwill go back and tell the truth. • Forgive others when they tell a lie. We all make mistakes.
Whenwe lie, people think they can’t trust us. Would you like to have afriend who always told the truth?
Tell the Truth
How do you feel when someone lies to you? How do you feel when you lie to someone? Mrs. Humphreys said that telling the truth sometimes takes a lot of flair, because telling the truth isn’t always easy. Butit’s always right. Let’s decide nowthat we will tell the truth!
"The Brite Star Kids” 979-8-89750-263-”Th9979-8-89750Entertaining Through Life Lessons in 263-9 the Magical World of Brite Star!"