by Ivisha Gupta, 7
One bright morning, in the middle of Sunny Lake, lived two best friends—two swans named Sammy and Amay. They loved to play in the water, splash around, and race with the wind.
But one day, they started to argue.
“I can run the fastest!” shouted Amay.
“No, I am the fastest swan in the world!” Sammy argued back.
Their voices echoed across the lake until their friend Ashwin the turtle said, “Stop fighting! Why don’t you have a real race to decide?”
Everyone agreed. Soon the news of the race spread, and many animals gathered to watch. Lammy the lion became the referee. He stood tall on a rock and roared, “On your marks, get set… GO!”
Sammy and Amay ran as fast as they could. Their wings flapped, their feet splashed water, and the crowd cheered loudly. But halfway, Amay saw a shiny fish swimming near the shore. He got tempted, stopped, and started eating it.
Sammy didn’t stop. He raced ahead and reached the finish line first. Everyone clapped for him, but Sammy turned around and saw Amay still chewing the fish.
For a moment, Sammy felt proud, but then he thought, What is the use of winning if my best friend is left behind? He went back, smiled, and said, “Amay, winning is fun, but friendship is better. Can I share the fish with you?”
Amay’s eyes lit up. He shared the fish, and both swans laughed together. The animals cheered again—this time not for the race, but for their friendship.
From that day, Sammy and Amay promised to stay best friends forever.
Moral: Winning is great, but true friendship is the biggest prize.
Bridge Ink 