The Brave Ones

The Brave Ones is a gentle and powerful episode of the Tales of Bark Mountain podcast that helps children understand an important truth: feeling scared or anxious doesn’t mean you’re weak—it means you’re human.

In this heartfelt story, Firefighters Red and Forrest quietly discuss their childhood feelings as they are checking the trucks in the Bark Mountain Fire Hall as snow drifts past the windows and Goose the Fire Dog chases snow flakes outside. In the calm, they reflect not as firefighters, but as the kids they once were. Red shares what it felt like to grow up with a worried heart—tight stomach, racing thoughts, and fears he didn’t yet have words for. Forrest remembers being afraid to speak up, ask for help, or admit he was scared at all.

Together, they talk about how fear and anxiety followed them into adulthood and even into the fire service. They explain that bravery isn’t the absence of fear—it’s taking small steps forward, asking for support, and learning you’re not alone. When Goose gently rests his head on Red’s boot, listeners are reminded that comfort often comes from simply being there.

The Brave One reassures kids and caregivers alike: heroes feel fear too—and that’s how real courage begins.

Music from Bensound.com

License code: JOMKAMTPZ2OJIAIF

Artist: : Benjamin Tissot

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