The Secret of the Emotion Jungle
A free lyrical story to awaken children to their inner light
“With your eyes softly closed,
breathe in deep and slow…
Name that feeling inside that you hold.
Imagine its shape and its color, so bright.
It’s okay to feel it — it’s powerful, right?”
A quick intro
My writings and poetry are my own shadow work turned allegory. A huge part of what refilled my midnight oil and reignited my writer’s flame has come from some emotional intelligence basics that I’ve planted in my heart as I’ve helped my wife bring her stories and books to life. The simplest stories can sometimes have the most power, and I credit this specific story to be the beginning of my owning my power as a writer.
When I read the rough draft of my wife’s Emotion Jungle children’s story, my eyes welled up with tears, a stirring of emotion and inspiration within my inner child. Putting it to words and rhyme has been one of the greatest honors and pleasures of my creative life.
The Free Story
I share with you the full text of the story, free of charge!
Scroll down for full text of the story, but if you’d like to purchase the book including all my wife’s beautiful illustrations, you can buy it here.
The Secret of the Emotion Jungle
Marco is a kind and curious kid, and he’s searching for the MULTICOLOR TREE. In the Emotion Jungle, where wild rivers flow, to uncover the secret he longs to know, He must answer the question: “Where does it grow?”
As he’s walking along, Marco hears a bright song. What could it be? A fun, SUNNY PARROT in a tall tree! “What are you looking for?” Parrot asks. “For the Tree of Many Colors, the MULTICOLOR TREE.” “Can I join you?” asks Parrot, “I’m HAPPY! It’s a beautiful day. We’ll find it fast!” Marco answers “Yes!” and Parrot joins the quest…
Soon, they both see a big bush nearby quaking. What could it be? A PURPLE LION lies there, beneath those big leaves! Marco asks, “What’s wrong, little lion? Your tail is shaking.” “A few weeks ago, a small bee stung my snout! Then my nose swelled up huge like a big, puffy ball! It hurt me so much, I let out a loud shout! So, I won’t leave this spot—not ever, at all!” “I have a special spray that can keep bees away.” Marco says, “Would you wear it, and join us on our little trek?” Lion, though SCARED, says… “Yes.” Now they’re back to the search for the MULTICOLOR TREE.
After a while, they hear a low rumble that explodes into a GREAT GROWL! What could it be? A RED GORILLA jumps out, so stout and strong! Yelling, “What are you doing here? Move it along!” "W-w-we're looking for the MULTICOLOR TREE— Why are you upset?" Marco asks. "Someone ate my banana, the last of the bunch! Now I'm so, so MAD! That was MY LUNCH!” "How unfair!" Parrot says. "I’d feel upset, too." "YES! It makes me feel ANGRY. I feel my heart racing, my face getting hot— My chest feels so tight, and my stomach’s a knot!" Gorilla relaxes a bit, after speaking his thoughts. “An adventure might help you feel better,” says Marco. You could breathe the fresh air and enjoy this nice weather.” Now there’s four of them walking and looking together.
Stepping over roots and through drooping vines, the boy and his friends hear quiet whines. They stop to listen carefully— What could it be? A young BLUE TIGER with tears in his eyes. “What’s wrong, little tiger? Why do you cry?” Asks Marco, as Tiger lets out a soft sigh. “My friends all ignore me. They don’t want to play. So here I am crying. I’m staying away.” “I can see how they’ve made you feel bad.” Marco says, and Tiger adds, “Yes, sad, very SAD!” “Want to talk about it and walk with us as we search for the MULTICOLOR TREE?” Now there’s five on the quest, each as eager as the rest.
A little way further, they hear a soft voice calling from the base of a tree. What could it be? It’s a little GREEN FROG with a CALMING smile! “Can I help you?” Frog asks, “What do you seek?” They all answer at once, “The MULTICOLOR TREE!” "Ah! You've arrived! I'm so pleased that you're here. To find it, just know that LOVE is the key. I can guide you, so please listen carefully… Stand in a circle, with hands out wide, and hold hands with your neighbor on either side. With your eyes softly closed, breathe in deep and slow… Name that feeling inside that you hold. Imagine its shape and its color, so bright. It’s okay to feel it—it’s powerful, right? Take another deep breath… Watch that feeling go out— Invite LOVE and COMPASSION inside, and let LOVE live within like a warm, glowing light…
Our feelings pass by, like the clouds up above…
Now see that you’re CALM, and you’re glowing with LOVE!” As they open their eyes, they all gasp in delight, For the tree they surrounded now shines! With colorful feelings, emotions so bright— It’s the MULTICOLOR TREE: What a magical sight!
Some more illustrations:
My wife and I have written and published two original children’s books, the brainchildren of my wife (Creator/Illustrator), who conceived of the stories in a flurry of inspiration in the wee hours of the morning, three years ago. Since English isn’t her first language, I’ve served as Editor, Website admin, and Co-writer. (She’s perfectly literate in English, but is admittedly not a wordsmith like me).
I hope you and your kid enjoyed it!
With Love,
Cael
awh i love this so much
This is one of the best feelings story I have read! WoW, thank you! This should be right up there with “Hello Moon” —Many can write the beginning, draw you in and follow along but the endings can be a bit flat. This ending was as beautiful as the entire story! Thank you to you both!!! Truly full circle!