Samy and the Very Small Beetle

In the savannah lived Samy the lion.

Samy was strong.

Very strong.

He could push big branches.

Run very fast.

And when he roared...

You could hear him almost from the other side of the river.

Samy really liked being strong.

Maybe even a little too much.

One morning, he was walking near a big tree when he saw something moving in the grass.

Something very small.

Samy came closer.

It was Rami the beetle.

Rami was pushing a small ball of dirt in front of him.

Samy stopped.

He looked at Rami.

Then at the small ball.

Then at Rami again.

"Is that what you're carrying?"

Rami kept pushing.

"Yes."

Samy looked at the ball.

"But it's tiny!"

Rami stopped.

"For you, maybe."

Samy lifted a paw.

Next to his big lion paw, Rami seemed even smaller.

"I could push a hundred balls like that at the same time!"

Rami answered calmly:

"Maybe."

Samy smiled.

"And with your little legs, you must take all day to get anywhere."

"Maybe."

Samy tilted his head.

"Do you always say maybe?"

Rami thought.

"Maybe."

Samy burst out laughing.

Then he went on his way.

"Good luck with your little ball!"

Rami started pushing again.

Very slowly.

---

A little later, Samy met Malo the monkey near the river.

Malo was jumping from one branch to another.

"Samy! Come see what I found!"

He came down from the tree with something in his hands.

It was a small round shiny stone.

It was red.

Very red.

When the sun hit it, it sparkled like a little flame.

Samy's eyes opened wide.

"Wow!"

Malo handed him the stone.

"Here."

Samy took it carefully.

He looked at it from one side.

Then from the other.

"It's beautiful."

"Keep it if you want."

Samy couldn't believe it.

"Really?"

"Yes."

Samy was delighted.

He placed the stone in a small pouch tied around his neck.

Then he ran off.

---

All day, Samy showed his stone to his friends.

To Jojo the hippopotamus.

To Baya the elephant.

To Nino the little elephant.

Even to Lila the giraffe.