The Happy Surprise

By Anya Walia

Meet Takota, Tee Tee, and Gosita. Takota and Tee Tee are humans. They live in the jungle. Takota is brave. She’s eight years old. She likes to explore. Tee Tee likes to swing from vine to vine. Tee Tee is six years old. She likes to climb the tallest trees. Gosita is a two-year-old cheetah cub. He likes to run around. Gosita is brave.

Takota, Tee Tee, and Gosita are swinging from branch to branch. They are going home. It is a very good day because the sun is shining. They reach their tribe. And then they go to Tree Lane Park. Then they start playing in Tree Lane Park. Suddenly Gosita spots something. Gosita roars! Takota and Tee Tee follow Gosita and find themselves in so many berry bushes.

Takota says, “They are a purple berry colour.”

Gosita tries one and roars, “They taste like sour yumminess. They smelled so good.” Gosita roars, “They are very smooth.”

Tee Tee says, “I don’t hear anything from the berry.” She had held it close to her ear.

Takota says, “Let’s pick a lot of berries so the tribe can eat the berries during the winter months and the rest of the year. That way everyone can have some. And then if we run out of berries from the tribe, we can go back to the berry bushes and pick a lot more.”

Tee Tee says, “Good idea! Let’s fill up our leaf baskets!”

And then, Takota and Tee Tee pick a lot of berries and fill up their leaf baskets. It takes thirty minutes to pick up the berries from the bushes and thirty more to carry the heavy leaf baskets to Center Circle, where their tribe lives.

Takota says, “Now we got a lot of berries to the tribe, let’s go back to the berry bushes and eat the berries over there.”

Tee Tee says, “Good idea. Let’s go right now!”

“Roar!” roars Gosita.

So Takota, Tee Tee, and Gosita go back to the berry bushes. Takota, Tee Tee, and Gosita say or roar, “OMG!”

Takota says, “What happened to all the berry bushes!”

Tee Tee says, “They’re gone!”

Gosita roars, “Oh no!”

Tee Tee says, “I don’t know how the berry bushes disappeared. Maybe they disappeared after one hour.”

Takota says, “Oh well. Better luck tomorrow.”

Gosita roars, “Wait. The berry bushes come only once a year.”

Takota and Tee Tee say, “How do you know that?”

Gosita replies, “I just can sense it.”  Animals that have a good sense of smell can sense the next time the berry bushes come.

Takota says, “Oh well. Better luck next year.”

THE END

- Total nr. of readings: 918 Copyright © The author [2020] All Rights Reserved. This story may not be reproduced without the express written permission of the author except for personal use.