Barnaby and Bartholomew were soldiers, and one bright morning, they decided to take a walk down a dusty path, whistling a happy tune. The sun was shining, birds were singing, and everything seemed just perfect.

Suddenly, out from behind a big, leafy bush, jumped a robber! He had a scruffy beard and a very loud voice. "Aha!" he shouted. "Stop right there! Give me all your shiny coins!"

Bartholomew's eyes went wide like saucers. He didn't say a word. He just turned around and ZOOM! He ran away as fast as his legs could carry him, disappearing behind a hill.

But Barnaby stood his ground. He wasn't going to let some noisy robber spoil their walk. He pulled out his (not too scary) sword and said, "Not so fast, Mr. Robber! You'll have to get past me first!"

They had a bit of a tussle. Clang! Clonk! Barnaby was very brave and strong. Soon, the robber decided it wasn't worth it. He dropped his bag of (not very much) stolen stuff and ran away even faster than Bartholomew had!

A few minutes later, when he was sure the coast was clear, Bartholomew tiptoed back. He puffed out his chest and said, "Phew! We sure showed him, didn't we, Barnaby? I shouted so loudly, I think I scared him off! My goodness, I fought like a lion!"

Barnaby just smiled a little. "Oh really, Bartholomew?" he said. "That's funny. When the robber was actually here, I didn't hear any shouting. I only saw the dust from your speedy feet. If you had really fought like a lion, you wouldn't have run away like a scaredy-cat rabbit. Next time, perhaps you can show your bravery *during* the trouble, not just talk about it after."

Bartholomew looked down at his shoes, feeling a bit silly. He knew Barnaby was right.

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