What Perry the Pey can teach us about kindness
Ever watch a little kid light up when they finally recognize a letter of the Aleph Bais? There's magic in that moment. And sometimes the simplest stories hold the deepest Torah lessons, even when they're wrapped in a tale about a girl, some flowers, and one very hungry elephant.
That's exactly what happens in Morah Chaya Shapiro's delightful Pey story, part of the Lessons for Little Ones series. On the surface, it's a charming way to teach young children the letter Pey. But underneath, it carries a beautiful message about chessed and resilience that even we grown-ups can learn from.
The Pey story that teaches more than a letter
Here's the tale. A little girl named Perry plants beautiful flowers, prakim, all around her house. Each night an elephant, a peel, sneaks over and eats them up. Perry wakes up to bare soil, morning after morning.
Now here's the part that grabs me. Perry doesn't get angry. She doesn't cry. She simply plants again. And again. She stays calm and keeps trying, which is exactly the kind of middah we want our children to absorb.
Takeaway: When something you built gets knocked down, you don't have to fall apart. You can gently begin again, just like Perry.
From frustration to chessed
Eventually Perry stays up to catch the culprit. When she finds Mr. Peel munching her flowers, she doesn't scold him. She asks why. He explains he's simply hungry. So Perry offers him peanuts instead, something he'd love even more.
This is where the Pey story becomes a small lesson in real chessed. Rabbi Dessler teaches that a person is built to be either a giver or a taker, and the giver looks at another person and asks what they need. Perry does exactly that. She stops seeing the elephant as her enemy and starts seeing him as someone with a need she can fill.
Takeaway: Real kindness often starts with a simple question. What does this person actually need?
Why little stories carry big lessons
You might wonder whether a four year old can grasp any of this. Here's the wonderful thing. Children don't need a lecture on midos. They soak up values through stories, songs, and characters they love.
Morah Chaya brings years of kindergarten experience to these videos, using song and storytelling to plant seeds that grow for years. Just as Perry planted her prakim, we plant Torah values in our children, one gentle story at a time. The Pey story sticks because it's fun, warm, and true.
Takeaway: The values you want your children to carry are best delivered through joy, not pressure.
Practical steps to plant these seeds today
Ready to turn the Pey story into real family moments? Try these:
Watch the Pey story together and afterward ask your child what Perry did when her flowers disappeared. Connect it to staying calm when things go wrong.
Name one act of chessed your child can do today, like sharing a snack or helping a sibling. Tie it back to how Perry helped Mr. Peel.
Practice the puh puh puh sound and hunt for Pey words together around the house. Learning becomes a game.
Plant something small, even a seed in a cup, and talk about patience and trying again when things don't grow right away.
Praise the try, not just the result. When your child keeps going after a setback, point it out. That's the Perry spirit.
Growing little neshamos, one letter at a time
The Pey story reminds us that teaching our children isn't only about letters and sounds. It's about planting the middos of resilience and chessed while they're young and eager to learn. Just like that first spark when a child recognizes a letter, these small lessons light up something lasting.
Ready to bring this joy home? Step into Torah Live's world of stunning videos, songs, and games that make Torah learning something your kids will actually beg for. Start your family's Torah adventure today and watch screen time become soul time. It's 100% clean, fun, and maaser approved.
