Once upon a time, in the middle of the big, wide Savanna, the sun began to wake up. Peek-a-boo! The sun peeked over the tall grass. It painted the sky orange and pink.
It was a beautiful morning. But inside the cozy lion den, it was still dark and quiet. Leo the Lion Cub opened his eyes. He did not smile.
He did not stretch. He frowned. Leo felt very grumpy. His fur felt messy.
His eyes felt sleepy. He did not want to wake up. 'Grrr,'went Leo. It was a small, grumpy sound.
Mama Lion opened her eyes too. She saw Leo’s grumpy face. She saw his droopy whiskers. 'Good morning, my little Leo,'she said softly.
'It is time to wake up! 'Leo shook his head. He pulled his paws under his chin. 'No,'he said.
'I do not want to wake up. I am a grumpy lion today. 'Mama Lion smiled a warm smile. She knew just what to do.
'Come outside,'she said. 'The world is waiting for us. 'Leo did not want to move. He stayed very still.
'I am staying here,'Leo said. 'I am grumpy. 'Mama Lion stood up and stretched her big legs. She walked to the door of the den.
'Look, Leo,'she said. 'The sky is blue. The grass is yellow. It is a happy day.
'Leo peeked one eye open. He saw a little bit of light. He still felt grumpy, but he was a little bit curious too. Slowly, Leo stood up.
He walked to the door of the den. He took one step. Then two steps.
Then, *Whoosh! * A warm breeze blew against his fur. It tickled his ears. Leo stepped out into the bright light.
The sun was warm on his nose. It felt like a soft blanket. Can you feel the warm sun on your face? Leo looked around.
The grass was very tall. It swished back and forth. *Swish, swish, swish. * He saw a tiny bug crawling on a rock.
The bug went *click, click, click. * Leo watched the bug. He forgot to be grumpy for a second. Then, Mama Lion gave a big roar.
It was not a scary roar. It was a morning roar. 'ROAAAR! 'she said.
'Try it, Leo! 'Leo took a deep breath. He filled his chest with air. He let out a little roar.
'Roar! 'he said. It was a small sound. But it made him feel strong.
Suddenly, a bright blue butterfly flew by. *Flutter, flutter, flutter. * The butterfly had pretty spots on its wings. It danced in the air.
Leo wanted to catch it. He crouched down low. His tail wiggled. *Wiggle, wiggle, wiggle.
* He jumped! *Boing! * He did not catch the butterfly. But he landed in a pile of soft leaves.
*Crunch, crunch, crunch. * Leo rolled over. He looked up at the blue sky. He felt happy.
He felt bouncy. Mama Lion came over and nuzzled him. Her fur was soft. 'Are you still a grumpy lion?
'she asked. Leo thought about it. He looked at the yellow grass. He looked at the blue sky.
He felt the warm sun. He felt the soft breeze. 'No,'said Leo. 'I am not a grumpy lion anymore.
''What are you now? 'asked Mama Lion. Leo smiled a big, toothy lion smile. 'I am a happy lion!
'he shouted. Leo started to run. He ran fast around the big rock. *Zoom, zoom, zoom!
* He chased his tail. He jumped over a stick. He felt so good. Mama Lion ran with him.
They played tag in the tall grass. Leo learned something special that morning. Sometimes we wake up feeling grumpy. We feel heavy and slow.
But if we go outside and see the sun, and feel the breeze, the grumpy feelings go away. The world is too fun to be grumpy. After playing for a long time, Leo got tired.
His legs were tired from running. He walked back to the den with Mama Lion. They lay down together in the cool shade. Leo closed his eyes.
He was not grumpy now. He was sleepy in a good way. 'Good morning, Leo,'whispered Mama Lion. 'Good morning, Mama,'whispered Leo.
'I love the magic morning. 'And they both purred. *Purr, purr, purr.