By Hedda the Mouse.

You should never let anyone make you doubt yourself, not for a minute!

Let me tell you my story. You already know I am a mouse. I am one of the smallest animals in the animal kingdom. But still I was the one who helped a big moose to believe in himself. I helped that moose to realize that he is one of the biggest animals – a master of the forest – at a time when he did not know it. In fact, he thought he was a little mouse!

The fact that I’m a mouse doesn’t mean that I am weaker than the big moose. Not in any way. But yet, I am easily underestimated…

One day I went for a walk down the road. And before I could realize it, I went so far astray that I found myself in the middle of the human zone.

First I was very nervous, but then one of my friends – a city mouse – came around the corner.

“Hello Hedda! What are you doing outside the forest? The city is a dangerous place, and you don’t know how things work around here!” Ashley warned me.

“Oh Ashley. Please show me where it is safe. I just want to look at the park for a while.” I pleaded.

She took me to a little hole in one of the park trees. It was her home – a modernly furnished apartment with a spectacular view.

I sat on one of the chairs close to the window. The park was green and the sun was shining, while children’s laughter filled the air.

Then I saw a little boy crying all by himself. A lot of people passed by him, but not one of them stopped to comfort him.

A blonde girl pulled her mama’s hand to show her the boy. But the mother looked at the girl impatiently and just walked along. The girl broke loose from her mother’s grip and ran to the boy. They talked for a while.

As it turned out, he got lost and could not find his big brother. The girl helped him look around, and very quickly they found him, sleeping on one of the park benches. He fell asleep and therefore did not hear his little brother crying.

The little boy thanked the girl and she returned to her angry mother. But her mother’s behavior didn’t bother her.

I know that feeling! Nothing can steal your joy when you have done something that is right!

Who was the stronger one in this scenario?

Those who are small and little of appearance (like we mice) view the world from a different angle. That way we can see others who are hurting more easily. We can crawl into narrow places underneath trees and in caves, where the bigger creatures usually hide.

We get more experienced in helping others, especially in the hard times. And that is what makes us stronger.

Being small also means you struggle more. We struggle with the smallest of things, such as to carry a small block of cheese, or such as to get the teacher to notice your raised hand in the classroom.

Thus, we must fight harder to get what we want. And that makes us stronger.

Although it’s not always easy being this small, I am still very grateful for it. I know it made me a better mouse and taught me to fight for what is right.

To all the little ones out there: Don’t get discouraged. Always remember, you are stronger than you think!