Pepet the ogre

In a hidden corner of an enchanted forest lived an ogre named Pepet. But he wasn’t like the ogres in fairy tales who frighten everyone; Pepet was a friendly and very curious ogre. He was as tall as a tree and as strong as an oak, yet what he loved most was wandering through the forest and helping the little animals.

Every day, Pepet would leave his home—a bright cave with flowers hanging from the ceiling—to explore new parts of the forest. He loved making new friends, even though the animals would often run away in fear when they saw him.

“It’s because I’m so big and make so much noise when I walk!” Pepet would say to himself, feeling quite sad.

One morning, while out for a walk, he heard someone crying. Pepet followed the sound until he found a little squirrel trapped beneath a very large branch.

“Help me, please!” the squirrel cried out, his voice trembling.

With great care, Pepet lifted the branch, and the squirrel was set free.

“Thank you! But… aren’t you mean?” the squirrel asked, his eyes wide open.

“Mean? No! I’m just big, but I have a small, tender heart.”

The squirrel, whose name was Xiscle, promised to tell all the other animals that Pepet was a friend, not a danger.

That same afternoon, Pepet came across a strange sight by the river. The ducks were making a great commotion because the water had become blocked by some stones. Without a second thought, the ogre removed the stones one by one, and the water began to flow again.

The ducks looked at him with gratitude and let out their best “quack-quack” to thank him.

“So, you aren’t actually bad, are you?” Pepet asked, teasingly.

The ducks laughed and said that they would never be afraid of him again.

Over time, Pepet became the protector of the forest. Whenever a problem arose, the animals would turn to him. And he, with his giant yet gentle hands, would always find a solution.

One night, the bright moon illuminated the forest, and all the animals gathered around Pepet’s cave. They had prepared a surprise: a feast filled with berries, fruits, and flowers.

“Thank you, Pepet! For being our friend and making the forest a more beautiful place!”

And so, Pepet the ogre learned that, even though he was different, he was deeply loved. From then on, no one in the forest was afraid of ogres, because they knew that not all of them are the same.