The Little Lion's Bird Friend

The Little Lion's Bird Friend Jane MEADOW

On the wide golden savanna, where the grass swayed like waves, a little lion cub named Leo woke up from his nap. He stretched his small paws and flicked his short tail with the dark tip. His fluffy round ears twitched at every tiny noise. "What a big, noisy world," Leo said to himself, blinking his large amber eyes. 1

Leo trotted through the tall grass, his soft golden-tan fur warm in the sun. He heard a rustle. He heard a hum. He heard a whispery whoosh. But he did not know what any of it was. A tiny tuft of darker fur on his head bounced as he walked along. "I wish someone could tell me what all these sounds mean," he said. 2

Suddenly, a flash of sky-blue feathers landed right on a fallen branch beside him. It was a tiny bird with a cream-white chest and bright black eyes. Her small orange beak opened in a cheerful chirp. "Hello! I'm Pip," she said. Leo blinked. He had never seen a bird so small. She could fit right in his paw! 3

"You look like you are trying to hear something," Pip said, tilting her head. Leo nodded. "The savanna is full of sounds, but I don't understand them." Pip hopped closer on her delicate wings folded neatly. "I can teach you," she said. "I know every sound out here. Just listen carefully." Leo's big amber eyes grew wide with wonder. 4

Pip fluttered up to a low branch. "Close your eyes and listen," she said. Leo closed his eyes. The wind brushed the grass. "That soft shhh is the wind," Pip said. "It tells you which way the clouds are going." Leo listened and smiled. "I hear it!" he cried. The savanna sounds were becoming words to him. 5

Next, Pip pointed her beak toward the grass. "Hear that rustle? That's the grass whispering to itself." Leo pressed his fluffy round ears forward. The grass did whisper, soft and swishy. "It sounds like secrets," Leo said, giggling. Pip laughed a tiny, tinkling laugh. "The savanna is always talking. You just have to be patient and kind enough to listen." 6

Day after day, Leo learned more savanna sounds. He learned the buzz of bees and the tap-tap of a woodpecker. He learned the far-off rumble that means rain is coming. "You are a wonderful listener," Pip said proudly. Leo's short tail swished happily. "And you are a wonderful teacher," he said. "But where do you sleep at night, little friend?" 7

Pip led Leo to a tall acacia tree at the edge of the grass. "This is my nesting tree," she said. "My little nest sits high in the branches." Leo looked up at the crooked old tree. Its branches creaked in the wind. "It is a lovely tree," he said. "But it looks a bit wobbly. What if a big gust comes?" 8

That very afternoon, the wind grew strong and pushy. The acacia tree swayed and groaned. Pip's nest wobbled on its branch. "Oh no!" Pip chirped, fluttering around it. "The branch is cracking!" Leo hurried over, his small paws gripping the ground. He did not know what to do, but he knew he had to help his friend. 9

Leo had an idea. He pushed a sturdy fallen branch against the acacia tree. It made a strong brace. Then he gathered soft grass and packed it around the roots. "This will help hold it steady," he said, panting. Pip watched with her bright black eyes. "You are keeping my nesting tree safe," she whispered. Leo's heart felt warm and big. 10

From that day on, Leo checked the nesting tree every morning. He chased away pesky beetles that nibbled the bark. He pushed away loose stones with his small paws. He even stood beside it during windy nights, his soft golden-tan fur blowing. "My nesting tree is the safest tree on the savanna," Pip sang. 11

One evening, Pip flew down and landed gently on Leo's paw. "You have been so kind to me," she said. "You learned my savanna sounds, and you kept my home safe." Leo smiled his gentlest smile. "That is what friends do," he said. "Kindness is the best way to build a friendship." The sun set gold and pink behind them. 12

Pip snuggled close to Leo's fluffy round ears. "I have a gift for you," she said. "Whenever you listen to the wind and the rustling grass, you will hear me cheering for you." Leo listened. The savanna sang its soft evening song. "I hear it," he said. "And I hear you, my little bird friend." 13

Now Leo is not just a lion cub who hears sounds. He is a lion cub who understands them. The wind is a friend. The grass is a friend. And Pip, with her sky-blue feathers and orange beak, is the best friend of all. The savanna is full of sounds, and now Leo knows every one of them. 14

Whenever a new sound floats across the grass, Leo tilts his head and listens. Then he tells Pip what he heard. She chirps and claps her delicate wings. "You remembered!" she says. And Leo puffs out his cream-white chest—well, his golden one —and says, "I had a good teacher." Their laughter rolls across the savanna like a happy song.