The Perfect Tree
By Abby Young
One morning, when the African sun was bright and hot, Lenny the lion was waking up from his nighttime slumber. He had slept cozily all night in the open savanna, with the warm dirt as his bed and dusty green grass patches as his pillow. As he stood up on all four legs, he began his morning stretching.
After his morning stretching, Lenny decided to go for a walk. He headed east, toward the sunrise. As he walked, he felt strong. His thick muscles tensed as he effortlessly glided along the powdery ground, paws spreading wide with each step. The warm breeze brushed his mane away from his face, giving him full view of everything around him.
To the left, Lenny saw the vast savanna. The tan dirt blurring in the bright sun's heat. He could feel the heat on his own skin, warming every inch of his fur. He was panting heavily- being under the blistering sun made him tired. Further away, Lenny saw a herd of wildebeests grazing. He looked to the right and saw a tree. The tree had a large brown trunk, as wide as 4 lions across. It's thick round branches were full of vibrant green leaves, providing perfect shade. The branches spread over the trunk reminded Lenny of arms reaching out, inviting him in for a hug. This was the tree. He thought.
This is the tree he would take his nap in. Lenny loved taking naps. He took naps every day. By the time he had finished his walk he was exhausted. The African sun had been beating down on him and he just found the perfect tree to escape into the shade. He joyously bound over to the base of the trunk and with one swift leap he was on the third branch. Standing tall and balanced, he walked his way down the winding branch. After finding the perfect spot, he collapsed down, hooking his soccer ball-sized paws over the branch and slumping his furry head in between them. Finally, he was ready for a good long catnap. The soft green leaves swayed in the wind, casting shadows over his heavy eyelids.