The Little Lemur's Friend

The Little Lemur's Friend - Author : Aysel Banu YAVUZAL

In a green forest, where tall trees touched the sky, lived a little lemur. He had soft grey fur, a white face, and bright ambergold eyes. His long tail had black and white rings, like stripes on a candy cane. Every morning he leaped from branch to branch. He was quick, curious, and full of giggles. The forest was his playground, and he wanted to share it with someone. 1

One warm evening, while the fireflies blinked on and off, the little lemur heard a rustle in the leaves. Down below the branches, something small and round was walking slowly. It had tawny brown fur, a pale cream belly, and tiny dark button eyes. Tiny whiskers twitched on its pointed snout. "Hello!" said the lemur. "I am quick! Who are you?" 2

"I am a tenrec," said the small brown animal softly. "I am slow, but I like to look at things." The lemur tilted his head. Slow? He had never met anyone slow before. He jumped down beside the tenrec and gave a friendly bounce. "Do you want to play?" he asked. The tenrec blinked its little dark eyes. "I can try," it whispered shyly. 3

So they played in the tall grass at the edge of the forest. The lemur leaped and spun and chased his own ringed tail. The tenrec walked low to the ground, sniffing every leaf and flower. The lemur ran circles around him, giggling. "You are so slow!" he said. The tenrec looked down. "I know," it said quietly. The lemur stopped bouncing and sat very still. 4

The little lemur saw that his new friend looked sad. He did not want that. "Slow is okay," he said gently. "You see things I miss when I zoom past." The tenrec lifted its pointed snout and gave a tiny smile. "I do see things," it said. "Follow me tonight. I know a secret place." The lemur's amber eyes grew wide with wonder. A secret place! What could it be? 5

When the sky turned deep blue and the stars came out, the two friends set off together. The lemur wanted to race ahead, but he remembered his friend and slowed his bouncing steps. The tenrec walked low and steady, its small paws patting the soft earth. Fireflies floated around them like tiny lanterns. "This way," the tenrec whispered. "Not far now. Just past the old tree." 6

They went past the old tree and under a hedge of thick green leaves. The tenrec pushed through a small gap, and the lemur squeezed after him. Then they both stopped and stared. There, hidden in the heart of the forest, was a garden. Soft silver light spilled over round flowers that glowed like little moons. The air smelled sweet, like honey and rain. 7

"Oh!" breathed the little lemur. "It is beautiful!" The tenrec smiled its small, quiet smile. "I found it last week," it said. "I come here when the night is calm." The garden glowed all around them. Pale blossoms nodded in the soft breeze, and dewdrops sparkled like tiny stars. The lemur spun in a slow circle, trying to see everything at once. His striped tail swished with joy. 8

The two friends explored the secret garden side by side. The lemur leaped up to touch the glowing flowers, and the tenrec sniffed the sweet petals near the ground. "These smell like honey," said the tenrec softly. "And these smell like rain!" The lemur found a smooth stone and hopped across it. Then he waited, patient and still, for his slow friend to catch up. 9

They played a new game in the glowing garden. The lemur would leap ahead, then stop and wait. The tenrec would walk slowly, then stop and sniff. "You are the fastest leaper I know," said the tenrec. "And you are the best finder of secret things," said the lemur. They both laughed, one loud and one soft, and the garden seemed to glow a little brighter. 10

Then the little lemur had an idea. "Let's find the sweetest flower together!" he said. The tenrec nodded. "You leap high and look," it said. "I will sniff low and smell." So the lemur bounced up to peek over the tall blooms, while the tenrec walked slowly and sniffed every stem. They searched and searched, working as a team, until at last they found it. 11

It was a small white flower with petals like soft curls. It smelled sweeter than honey and fresher than rain. "We found it!" cheered the lemur. "We found it," agreed the tenrec, its tiny eyes shining. "You saw it from up high, and I smelled it from down low." The lemur looked at his friend and felt warm inside. Being different was not a problem at all. It was like two pieces of one puzzle. 12

The little lemur sat beside the tenrec in the soft light. "I am glad you are slow," he said. "If you were quick like me, we would never have found this garden. You notice quiet things." The tenrec looked up, surprised and happy. "And I am glad you are quick," it said. "You make me laugh and leap in my heart." They sat together, different and glad, watching the glowing flowers sway. 13

When the moon grew high, the two friends walked home through the sleeping forest. The lemur did not race ahead. He stayed beside the tenrec, step by slow step, and told funny little jokes. The tenrec giggled its soft giggle. "Same time tomorrow?" asked the lemur. "Same time," said the tenrec.