Once a year, the jungle held a boat race down the Muddy River. Tilly the lion built a log canoe, and painted it bright green. The prize was a huge fruit basket.
On race day, the animals lined up. Ella the monkey had a super-fast boat with a pointy front. ‘I’ll win easily,’ said Ella. Tilly just smiled. ‘May the best boat win!’
‘Ready, steady, GO!’ The boats shot forward. Ella zoomed ahead. Tilly paddled hard but fell behind. Then Tilly saw Theo stuck on a rock, with water rising round his feet.
Tilly had a choice. Win the race, or help a friend. Tilly turned the boat round without a second thought. ‘Hop on!’ she called. Theo jumped in, and they paddled on together.
Soon they passed another stuck boat, and another. Tilly helped them all. By the time they reached the end, Tilly’s boat was full of friends, and everybody was singing.
Ella had won. But when Ella looked back and saw everyone laughing in Tilly’s boat, she frowned. ‘It looks more fun over there,’ she said. Tilly shared the a huge fruit basket, and Ella got the biggest piece.
The little lesson
Teamwork beats speed.
Let’s talk about it
- Who helped Tilly at the end?
- What would your boat look like?
Finish stories to collect Tilly as a sticker in your Sticker Book.
More Jungle stories
The Great Jungle Boat Race of Mei
Every jungle animal enters the big river race. Can Mei win with a leaf boat?
Splash! Toby and the River Race
Every jungle animal enters the big river race. Can Toby win with a leaf boat?
The Hidden Waterfall of Rani
Rani and friends hike through the jungle to find a waterfall that no one has ever seen.
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