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During the rainy season, the clouds
are heavy and burst open with precious drops of water. The savanna is
covered with green grasses and millions of wildflowers. The rivers spill
over their banks, covering the parched earth. It’s a glorious time for the
animals.
Faraji croaked and leapt from rock
to rock, trying to cross the fast-flowing river. When he reached the other
side he sat on a lily pad that was floating near the riverbank. Several
hippos had gathered in the center of the river. They were enjoying the
coolness of the water. Just then the ground began to shake. "What’s that?"
Faraji wondered. THUD! THUD! THUD! He nearly fell into the stream.
Jelani came walking out of the
trees, his trunk waving back and forth. He stepped into the rushing waters
and plopped down on his bottom. "Ah. That’s better. I’m much cooler now,"
the elephant said. He filled his trunk with water and blew it out all over
Faraji.
"Hey! Watch what you’re doing," the
frog shouted.
"It’s only water! Besides, you’re a
frog. You like the water, don’t you?" Jelani asked.
The frog began to laugh. "I suppose
I do. How far can you blow the water?"
"As far as I want," the elephant
replied.
Faraji had an idea. "Jelani, pick me
up with your trunk."
Jelani reached over and grabbed the
frog. He held him tightly over his head. "What now?" The frog climbed to
the end of the trunk and sat down on it. "I can’t breathe," the elephant
complained.
"Blow as hard as you can," Faraji
said. Jelani took a deep breath through his mouth and blew out of his
trunk. Faraji went flying through the air and landed with a splash in the
water about twenty feet away. "WHEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!"
The frog swam back to the elephant.
"Do that again! That was great fun!" He climbed up onto the end of
Jelani’s trunk and sat there. "Blow!" he shouted. Jelani took another deep
breath and then blew. "WHEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!" went the frog. He landed
with a splash in the middle of the river.
Faraji did this over and over again.
Finally Jelani said, "I’m tired. I can’t breathe when I do that. It might
be fun for you, but it’s not fun for me."
"Aw, come on, Jelani. One more time,
please?" the frog begged.
"Oh, all right, but only one more
time. Climb up," Jelani said. The frog sat on the end of Jelani’s trunk.
Jelani took a deep breath. "Here you go." He blew as hard as he could.
The frog went flying through the
air. "You blew too hard this time," Faraji shouted. He didn’t shout
WHEEEEEEEEE! He didn’t laugh. He soared through the air and landed with a
splat against the trunk of a tree. Jelani watched in horror as the frog
slid down the trunk to the ground.
"Are you all right?" Jelani asked.
Faraji lay with his back against the
tree. "That’s enough for today, Jelani," he mumbled.
Jelani sat in the water, filled his
trunk with water and blew it into the air, happy that Faraji was finished
with his games. Faraji hopped over to a lily pad and sat quietly for the
rest of the day with a bad headache. "Poor Faraji," Jelani sighed, and
then blew water high into the air. |
