Leo the lion cub loved sunny days. He loved chasing butterflies in the tall, golden grass and splashing in the cool river. But today wasn’t a sunny day. Dark clouds filled the sky, and raindrops plopped onto Leo’s nose. He frowned. “I don’t *like* rainy days!” he grumbled to his mama.
Mama Lion smiled gently. “Rainy days are part of life, little one. Just like sunny days, and windy days, and even days when you feel a little bit sad. Life isn’t always one thing. It’s a mix of everything.”
Leo didn’t understand. “But why can’t it *always* be sunny?” he asked, kicking a small pebble with his paw.
“Because if it was always sunny, the flowers would get thirsty, and the river would dry up,” Mama Lion explained. “The rain helps everything grow strong. And sometimes, feeling a little sad helps us appreciate the happy times even more.”
Leo still felt grumpy. He tried to chase a butterfly, but it flew away quickly. He tried to splash in a puddle, but it wasn’t as fun as the river. Everything felt…blurry and gray. He sat down with a sigh.
Mama Lion sat beside him and wrapped her warm paw around him. “It’s okay to feel sad, Leo. It’s okay to feel frustrated when things don’t go your way. Those feelings are important.”
Suddenly, a little bird landed on a branch above them, singing a cheerful song despite the rain. Leo listened. The song wasn’t as bright as the songs he heard on sunny days, but it was still beautiful in its own way.
Leo started to notice other things too. The raindrops made sparkly patterns on the leaves. The smell of the wet earth was fresh and clean. He even saw a tiny snail slowly making its way across a big, green leaf.
“It’s…kind of pretty,” Leo whispered.
Mama Lion nuzzled him. “See? Even on a rainy day, there’s beauty to be found. Life has lots of different colors, Leo. And all of them are special.”
Leo smiled, a small but genuine smile. He realized that even though he preferred sunny days, rainy days weren’t so bad after all. They were just…different. And different could be good too. He snuggled close to his mama, feeling grateful for her warm hug and the gentle sound of the rain. He knew that no matter what kind of day it was, he was loved, and that made everything a little bit brighter.