Once a year, the jungle held a boat race down the Muddy River. Mateo the zebra built a bark raft, and painted it bright green. The prize was golden mangoes.
On race day, the animals lined up. Rani the parrot had a super-fast boat with a pointy front. ‘I’ll win easily,’ said Rani. Mateo just smiled. ‘May the best boat win!’
‘Ready, steady, GO!’ The boats shot forward. Rani zoomed ahead. Mateo paddled hard but fell behind. Then Mateo saw Hugo stuck on a rock, with water rising round his feet.
Mateo had a choice. Win the race, or help a friend. Mateo turned the boat round without a second thought. ‘Hop on!’ he called. Hugo jumped in, and they paddled on together.
Soon they passed another stuck boat, and another. Mateo helped them all. By the time they reached the end, Mateo’s boat was full of friends, and everybody was singing.
Rani had won. But when Rani looked back and saw everyone laughing in Mateo’s boat, she frowned. ‘It looks more fun over there,’ she said. Mateo shared the golden mangoes, and Rani got the biggest piece.
The little lesson
Teamwork beats speed.
Let’s talk about it
- Who helped Mateo at the end?
- What would your boat look like?
Finish stories to collect Mateo as a sticker in your Sticker Book.
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