Chapter 1 – The Bad News
Maya sat at her desk, swinging her legs as Miss Tan handed out the announcement sheet.
Her eyes scanned the bold words:
“Weighted Assessment 3 – Worth 40% of your final score.”
Her stomach dropped. Forty percent? That’s almost half my grade!
Miss Tan smiled, “Don’t panic, class. If you prepare well, you’ll do great.”
Great? Maya didn’t feel great. She remembered the last assessment, where she forgot half her math formulas and spelled environment wrong (three times).
As soon as the school bell rang, her best friend Jia bounded over.
“Are you ready for WA3?” Jia said excitedly.
Maya groaned. “No. I’ll probably mess it up again.”
Chapter 2 – The Whispering Notebook
That evening, Maya slumped over her desk, staring at her pile of books like they were mountains too high to climb.
Suddenly, a faint whisper came from her notebook.
“Maya?”
She blinked. Notebooks don’t talk. I must be tired.
But the voice continued, “You’re worried about WA3. I can help.”
Maya cautiously opened the notebook. The pages began to glow, and before she knew it—WHOOSH—she was no longer in her room.
She was standing in a giant valley, surrounded by… mountains.
Each mountain had a name carved in glowing letters: Math Mountain, Science Slope, English Peak.
Chapter 3 – The Guide
A small creature popped out from behind a rock. It was a fluffy squirrel wearing glasses and carrying a tiny satchel.
“I’m Nibby,” it said.
“You’ve been brought here because your mountains—Math, Science, and English—won’t climb themselves.”
Maya frowned. “I can’t climb all that before WA3!”
Nibby adjusted his spectacles. “You can… if you climb a little every day. The trick is preparation, young climber.”
He pointed to English Peak.
“Step one: Break big tasks into smaller steps.
Step two: Practice, even when you don’t feel like it.
Step three: Believe that you can improve.”
Chapter 4 – Little Steps, Big Wins
Nibby led her up the first small hill. “This is the Grammar Garden—it’s where you plant seeds by learning one or two spelling words a day.”
Maya noticed how light her bag felt when carrying just a few words instead of a whole dictionary.
Next, they visited Math Mountain.
He handed her a Formula Rope.
“Review one formula, then try climbing a little higher. If you stumble, use the rope to pull yourself back.”
Slowly, she reached higher than she ever thought possible.
Chapter 5 – The Wind of Doubt
A sudden icy wind howled across the mountains.
“You’re not smart enough!” it hissed.
“You’ll fail again!”
Maya froze.
“That’s the Wind of Doubt,” Nibby called. “Don’t listen—block it with the Shield of Practice!”
She focused on what she had already learned and recited her spelling words like a battle song. The wind grew quieter.
Chapter 6 – The Climb to English Peak
The climb was tough. She slipped a few times.
But every evening, Nibby appeared and they practiced reading short passages, writing stories, and checking grammar.
“See? You’re building muscle—in your mind,” said Nibby.
Bit by bit, Maya began enjoying the climb. She started challenging herself:
“If I can finish three math problems without mistakes, I’ll reward myself with a cookie!”
Chapter 7 – The Summit
One sunny morning, Maya reached the top of all three mountains. She could see the valley spread out below—bright, full of confidence.
“You did this,” Nibby said proudly. “Not magic. Not luck. Effort.”
A golden banner unfurled from the sky: “Effort Today, Success Tomorrow.”
Before she could reply, WHOOSH—Maya was back in her room, the glowing notebook closed in front of her.
Chapter 8 – The Real Test
The day of WA3 arrived. Maya’s hands trembled when the invigilator handed her the first paper. But this time, she remembered Nibby’s advice.
- One question at a time.
- Breathe.
- You’ve practiced for this.
Hours later, she walked out of the exam hall smiling. Not because she knew every answer was perfect, but because she had tried her very best.
Chapter 9 – Results Day
A week later, Miss Tan handed back the papers.
“Maya,” Miss Tan beamed, “your score has improved by fifteen marks! That’s the biggest jump in class.”
Jia whispered, “Wow, what’s your secret?”
Maya grinned. “Climbing mountains.”
Of course, Jia thought she was joking.
Lesson of the Story
- Small daily effort beats last-minute rushing.
- Practice builds confidence.
- Believe in improvement, not perfection.
Maya learned that mountains may look scary, but they can be climbed—step by step, every single day.
✨ Moral: Success is built in quiet moments of work, long before the day of the exam.
Tayle Tales 