Albert was a very happy alligator, most of the time. He lived in a beautiful, sunny river, and he had a *very* favorite spot. It was a little sandy bank, perfect for sunbathing. Albert loved to lie there all day, soaking up the warmth and watching the dragonflies zip by. The only problem was… Albert didn’t like to share his spot.
Whenever another animal came near, Albert would grumble. “This is *my* spot!” he’d say, puffing out his chest. A little turtle named Tilly tried to sunbathe nearby once, but Albert snapped, “Too close! Find your own rock!” A fluffy duckling, Pip, wanted to rest there after a long swim, but Albert just waved his tail dismissively. “No room for ducklings here!”
One afternoon, a wise old heron named Hazel landed gracefully near Albert. She’d been watching him chase everyone away. “Albert,” she said kindly, “you seem lonely. A beautiful spot is even more enjoyable when shared with friends.”
Albert scoffed. “Friends? I don’t need friends! I have my sunbathing spot, and that’s all I need.” But Hazel just smiled. “Is it, Albert? Really? What do you do when you’re bored? Or when you want to play a game?”
Albert hadn’t thought about that. He usually just… sunbathed. And sometimes, he *was* a little bored. He mumbled, “I… I don’t know.”
“Perhaps,” Hazel suggested, “if you shared your spot, you could make some friends and find out! Tilly the turtle loves to tell stories, and Pip the duckling is a wonderful swimmer. You might have a lot of fun together.”
Albert considered this. It sounded… different. He wasn’t used to sharing. But the thought of having someone to talk to, or play with, was tempting. He took a deep breath and decided to try. The next time Tilly the turtle approached, Albert didn’t snap. He hesitated, then said, “Um… you can sit here. But not *too* close.”
Tilly’s face lit up. “Oh, thank you, Albert!” She settled down a little ways away and began to tell a fascinating story about a shimmering seashell she’d found. Albert found himself listening, and surprisingly, he was enjoying it! Soon, Pip the duckling joined them, and Albert even let Pip splash him with a little water (which, to Albert’s surprise, felt quite nice).
They spent the rest of the afternoon chatting, laughing, and playing. Albert discovered that sharing his spot didn’t make it any less enjoyable – in fact, it made it *more* fun! He learned that Tilly was a fantastic storyteller, and Pip was a master at finding the juiciest water bugs. He realized Hazel was right; a beautiful spot was even better with friends.
As the sun began to set, painting the river in shades of orange and pink, Albert smiled. He wasn’t a lonely alligator anymore. He was Albert, the alligator with friends, and he had the best sunbathing spot in the whole wide river. He learned that day that sharing wasn't about giving something *away*, but about gaining something wonderful in return: friendship and happiness. And that, he thought, was a very good feeling indeed.