Once upon a time, in a land of mighty dragons, there lived a very small dragon named Spark. While all the other dragons in his mountain were large and breathed impressive flames, Spark was tiny and could only produce a small flicker of fire.
"You're too small to be a real dragon," the others would say. "Real dragons are big and fierce and can breathe fire that melts rocks!"
This made Spark feel very sad. He would practice his fire-breathing every day, hoping to grow bigger and stronger. But no matter how hard he tried, his flame remained small.
One day, a terrible storm came to the mountain. The wind howled through the caves, and the rain fell in sheets. All the dragons huddled together for warmth, but even their mighty flames struggled against the cold dampness of the storm.
As night fell, Spark heard a small sound coming from outside the cave. Peeking out, he saw a lost baby bird, soaked and shivering in the rain. The little bird had fallen from its nest high in the cliffside and couldn't find its way home in the storm.
"I have to help," Spark decided, even though he was afraid of the storm.
The other dragons were fast asleep, and Spark knew that if he woke them, the tiny bird might be frightened by their size. So, gathering all his courage, Spark ventured out into the rain alone.
The wind nearly blew him away, and the rain made it hard to see, but Spark was determined. He carefully approached the baby bird, who looked up at him with hopeful eyes.
"Don't worry," Spark said gently. "I'll help you find your way home."
He carefully allowed the little bird to climb onto his back, and then began the difficult journey up the cliffside, searching for the bird's nest. The rain made the rocks slippery, and several times they nearly fell, but Spark kept going.
Finally, they reached a small nest tucked into a crevice in the cliff. A mother bird was there, calling anxiously for her baby. When she saw Spark approaching with her little one, she was overjoyed.
"Thank you, little dragon," she chirped. "You are very brave to come out in such a storm."
Spark smiled, helping the baby bird back into its nest. "I'm not very big," he said, "but I wanted to help."
As Spark made his way back to the dragons' cave, he realized something important. Being brave wasn't about being big or having the hottest flame. It was about doing what was right, even when it was difficult or scary.
When he returned to the cave, soaking wet but happy, the other dragons were awake and had been searching for him.
"Where have you been, little one?" they asked with concern. "We were worried about you!"
Spark told them about the baby bird and his journey through the storm. The other dragons listened with surprise and admiration.
"That was very brave," said the oldest dragon. "True courage isn't measured by size."
From that day on, Spark was known as the bravest dragon on the mountain. He never did grow as large as the others, and his flame remained small—but that didn't matter anymore. Spark had learned that true courage comes from the heart, not from size or strength.
And whenever the dragons gathered to tell stories of bravery, they always included the tale of the small dragon who ventured into the storm to save a little bird—proving that courage comes in all sizes.