Leo the lion was the happiest lion in the jungle! He had a wonderful collection of toys: a bright red ball, a bouncy blue mushroom, and a shiny green beetle. He loved playing with them all by himself. Every afternoon, Leo would arrange his toys perfectly under the biggest mango tree and roar with delight as he played.
One sunny afternoon, Maya the monkey swung down from the trees. “Hello, Leo!” she chirped. “Those toys look like so much fun! Can I play too?” Leo frowned. He hugged his red ball tightly. “No,” he said. “These are *my* toys. I don’t want anyone else to play with them.” Maya’s face fell, and she quietly swung away.
Soon after, Raj the rhino lumbered over, followed by Penelope the parrot. They both asked to join Leo’s game, but Leo refused each time. He didn’t want to share! He thought having all the toys to himself made him the happiest lion in the world. But as he played alone, something felt…wrong. The jungle seemed quieter, and his toys didn’t seem as fun.
He looked around and saw Maya swinging sadly by herself, Raj trying to build a tower of pebbles, and Penelope quietly preening her feathers. They all looked lonely. Leo suddenly felt a pang of sadness in his heart. He realized that playing alone wasn’t nearly as fun as playing with friends.
Leo took a deep breath and walked over to Maya. “Maya,” he said, “I’m sorry I didn’t share. Would you like to play with the red ball?” Maya’s face lit up. “Yes, please!” she squealed. Then Leo went to Raj. “Raj, would you like to bounce the blue mushroom?” Raj happily agreed. Finally, he offered the shiny green beetle to Penelope.
Soon, the four friends were laughing and playing together under the mango tree. Leo discovered that sharing his toys didn’t make him have *less* fun; it made his fun even *bigger*! He learned that playing with friends was much more enjoyable than playing alone. He understood that making others happy made *him* happy too.
As the sun began to set, painting the jungle in warm colors, Leo snuggled up with his friends. “Thank you for playing with me,” he said. “I’m so glad I learned to share.” Maya, Raj, and Penelope all smiled. They knew that Leo wasn’t just the happiest lion in the jungle, he was also the kindest. And that was the best feeling of all. Now close your eyes, little one, and dream of jungle adventures and the joy of sharing with friends.