Phinney the little elephant had a very special secret today. He could not wait to share it with his best friends, Bree the Zebra and Pip the Monkey. Phinney walked over to Bree and stretched his long trunk toward her ear to begin.

Phinney opened his mouth to tell his secret, but he was so excited that he forgot to check his volume. “I HAVE A SECRET!” he shouted so loudly that Pip nearly fell out of the tree. Phinney’s voice sent a flock of colorful birds fluttering into the sky.

Bree and Pip couldn't help themselves; they started to giggle. “Phinney, that didn't sound like a secret at all!” Pip laughed. Soon, their cheerful laughter filled the entire forest, making the leaves dance on the branches.

Phinney felt a little bit shy, but he didn't give up. “Okay, I will be much quieter this time,” he promised himself. He took a very deep breath, stepped closer to Bree, and focused hard on making his voice tiny.

This time, Phinney made his voice as soft as a cloud. He leaned down toward Pip and spoke with a sound that was only for his friend to hear. His voice was like the gentle pitter-patter of rain on a leaf.

Seeing how soft Phinney could be, Bree decided to join the game. She leaned in and whispered something back into Phinney’s large, floppy ear. Now, instead of loud noises, the forest was filled with tiny, magical sounds.

Phinney discovered that a whisper was a very special thing. “It sounds like soft cotton candy!” he thought happily. He and Pip practiced making their voices so small that only the ladybugs nearby could hear them.

The three friends decided to play a new game. Pip leaned down from his branch and whispered a secret word into Bree’s ear. When Bree heard it, she wagged her tail with excitement.

Then it was Phinney’s turn. Pip whispered another secret word to him. As they put the words together, a funny and sweet “whisper story” began to grow. Phinney whispered the word “Cloud...” and felt very proud.

When the whisper story was finished, Bree said, “Now, let’s tell our story to the whole forest!” Phinney and Bree used their normal, happy voices to tell the tale from the very beginning.

Phinney had finally learned how to use his voice. He loved whispering for secrets, shouting for games, and using his regular voice for talking. He and Pip spent the rest of the afternoon practicing all kinds of sounds.

As the sun began to set, it was time to head home. Phinney looked at Bree and Pip and, in his softest, sweetest whisper, said, “I love you guys.” They all walked home together, glowing with happiness.