Leo was a little lion with a very big mane, even though he was still quite small. He loved his Pride Rock more than anything! It was a warm, sunny rock, perfect for napping and watching the clouds drift by. Leo thought, 'This is *my* rock!'
One sunny morning, Zara the zebra came bouncing along. “Can I play near your rock, Leo?” she asked. Leo frowned. “No! This is *my* rock. You can’t play here.” Zara’s ears drooped, and she wandered off to play by herself.
Then, Kito the monkey swung down from a tree. “Leo, can we play a game of chase around your rock?” Leo shook his head. “No, it’s my rock! Go play somewhere else.” Kito sighed and went to join Zara, looking sad.
Leo sat on his rock, but he didn’t feel very happy. He watched Zara and Kito playing a quiet game, and it didn’t look very fun without anyone to chase with. He realized his rock felt…lonely.
Suddenly, Leo had an idea! He ran over to Zara and Kito. “Wait!” he called. “Maybe…maybe we can *all* play together! We can chase around the rock, and everyone can have a turn sitting on top!”
Zara and Kito’s faces lit up. “Really, Leo?” asked Zara. Leo nodded, feeling a warm glow inside. “Yes! It’s more fun with friends.”
They played and played, chasing and laughing. Leo discovered that sharing his Pride Rock didn’t make it less special; it made it *more* special! Having friends to play with was the best feeling ever.
When the sun began to set, Leo, Zara, and Kito sat together on the Pride Rock, watching the colors change in the sky. Leo snuggled close to his friends. “Thank you for playing with me,” he said. “Sharing my rock was a great idea!”
Zara and Kito smiled. They knew Leo had learned a very important lesson. And as Leo drifted off to sleep, he dreamed of many more sunny days filled with friendship and fun on his Pride Rock.