In the Great Forest, every animal knew one thing for certain, that owls are the wisest creature of all.

Ophelia the Owl isn't just an owl — she’s the Forest’s Official Wise One, a title passed down through generations of owls. Ophelia wears her title proudly, even if the Wise One’s hat is a little itchy.

“Why does the river run so quick?”

questioned the beaver.

“Well it’s racing the wind.”

Ophelia answered with certainty.

“How do stars stay in place in the sky?”

the fox wonders.

“They’re glued up there by the moonlight”

She replied with a nod.

The animals would cheer.

 Ophelia always knew the answer!

That’s what the wise one meant.

But the truth? Ophelia doesn’t feel wise at all.

Her family reminds her constantly:

“A Wise One should always have an answer.”

So every night, Ophelia studies until her feathers droop, reading every scroll and book available to her. She practiced her answers and worried that if she ever got a question wrong, the animals would realize she wasn’t wise, just a regular old owl.

One day, the animals gather for their weekly "Ask the Owl" session.

A tiny mouse steps forward and asks:  

“Why do we dream?”

Ophelia freezes as her heart thumps louder than a woodpecker on a tree. She can’t guess this time, and the question was nothing like the stars or river. What if she was wrong about what she was going to say? What if they find out she isn’t as wise as they think?

As the animals await a response, Ophelia just can’t take it anymore. She flies away before the mouse notices that she doesn’t have an answer!

She leaves the forest meeting, ashamed of not knowing everything. While she’s gone, the forest starts to struggle. Without Ophelia, no one feels confident making decisions.

The squirrels can’t decide how to share their acorns. The beavers argue over how to build their dam. The foxes stop stargazing because they can’t  figure out what to believe anymore. Everyone waits for a new Wise One to swoop in and tell them what to do because someone has to have all the answers… right?

From her hiding spot Ophelia watches as her chest aches. She wishes she could help, but how could she if she didn’t know everything?

Then, she notices something happening! The squirrels start chattering up new ways to share acorns. The beavers combine their ideas together to build a stronger, studier dam. The foxes make up their own stories about the stars, ones even more beautiful than before.

Ophelia watches. She blinks.

The forest isn’t falling apart without her.

It’s working together!