Captain Redcomb the rooster stood aboard his ship, the Barnyard Gallant, looking out at the vast ocean with a sigh. He had always dreamed of sailing to distant lands. But now that the chance had come, he felt only nervousness.
"Beautiful morning for the voyage, eh Captain?" yelled his first mate, a wise old goat named Billy.
"I suppose," Redcomb muttered in a depressed tone...
"Why the gloomy gills?" Billy asked. "You'll be the greatest explorer in the whole coop!"
"But what if I mess up?" the rooster said. "What if I get us lost? Or steer us into a storm? Maybe I'm not cut out for this."
Just then, the new cabin boy, a cheerful baby chick named Peepers, came hopping over. "Good morning, sir! I finished cleaning your quarters. Say, don't you look dashing today! That captain's hat suits you."
"Aw, I appreciate the kind words, lad," Redcomb ruffled his feathers bashfully.
"Would you help me set the sails with me?" the cabin boy asked.
"It would be my pleasure," said Redcomb, smiling a little. And as he made his rounds with the upbeat baby chick, Redcomb felt himself becoming less and less nervous...
When they completed inspecting the ship, the cabin boy turned to the rooster. "Permission to speak freely, sir?"
"Of course you can speak freely, mate," Redcomb replied.
"I know starting this journey seems scary. But you were picked to be our captain because you have true bravery inside you, even if you don't feel it yet... We all trust in you completely!" said Peepers. "I mean, how could we not follow a captain as competent and handsome as you...?"
Captain Redcomb clucked with laughter. The chick's kind words sparked something within him. For the first time, Redcomb pictured himself succeeding - vanquishing storms, discovering new lands, and leading his crew on epic adventures across the seas...
He puffed out his chest and walked up to the ship's wheel, brimming with newfound confidence. Redcomb nodded to Billy the goat first mate, who then gave the order for the Barnyard Gallant to set sail.
And so the majestic Barnyard Gallant embarked on its first voyage, sailing towards the shimmering horizon. And captain Redcomb felt ready to chart all of their feathered destinies