The Little Pangolin's Friend

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

In the soft, dark night, when the moon was a silver slice and the stars were tiny lanterns, a little pangolin woke up. She stretched her short legs and yawned a tiny yawn. Her name was Pip, and she loved to explore. She picked up her green leaf satchel and stepped out into the cool night air. The world was quiet, and the trail was waiting. 1

Pip's scales were brown and tan, layered like leaves in autumn. Her face was pale cream, and her big dark eyes sparkled with curiosity. She sniffed the air with her tiny snout. Something smelled interesting tonight. A new smell! It was warm and a little dusty, like fresh soil. Pip's heart did a happy hop. She loved new things. 2

Pip followed the smell along a winding trail. The trail was soft under her little claws. She passed tall grass that whispered, and a sleepy flower that closed its petals. Then she saw someone. It was an aardvark! He was lanky and pale pinkishgrey, with long rabbit-like ears and a long snout. He wore a blue scarf. He was digging happily. 3

The aardvark looked up and smiled. "Hello!" he said. "I'm Arlo. I'm digging for tasty ants. Do you like to dig?" Pip shook her head. "Not really," she said. "But I love to explore! I follow trails and sniff out new things." Arlo's eyes lit up. "I love to explore too!" he said. "Maybe we can explore together?" Pip nodded so fast her scales rattled. 4

So Pip and Arlo set off together. Pip led the way, her long tail swishing. Arlo followed, his big ears listening to every sound. The night was full of noises: crickets chirping, leaves rustling, and a soft owl hoot. "What's that?" asked Arlo. "Just the wind," said Pip. They walked side by side, two friends on a nighttime trail. 5

Soon they found a mysterious trail. It was a line of tiny footprints in the dust. "Who made these?" whispered Arlo. Pip bent down and sniffed. "I don't know," she said. "But let's find out!" They followed the footprints. The trail went under a bush and around a rock. It was like a puzzle. "This is fun!" said Arlo. "I'm glad we're exploring together." 6

Pip and Arlo sniffed the trail. Pip's tiny snout twitched. Arlo's long snout wiggled. "I smell something sweet," said Pip. "I smell something earthy," said Arlo. They followed their noses. The trail led to a little hill. At the top, they stopped and looked up. The sky was full of stars! "Wow!" said Arlo. "I love looking at stars." "Me too!" said Pip. 7

They sat on the hill and counted stars. "That one looks like a digging claw," said Arlo. "And that one looks like a scale," said Pip. They laughed. Then Pip saw something shiny in the grass. "Look!" she said. It was a little stone that sparkled like a star. "It's beautiful," said Arlo. "Let's keep it," said Pip. "A treasure from our trail." 8

They continued along the trail. It went down the hill and into a hollow. The hollow was dark, but Pip's eyes were sharp. "I see something," she said. "What is it?" asked Arlo. "I don't know," said Pip. "But it's big and round." They crept closer. Arlo's big ears twitched. "I hear a sound," he said. "Like a tiny hum." "Let's find out," said Pip. 9

The trail ended at a big, round bush. The bush was covered in tiny white flowers that glowed in the moonlight. "Oh!" said Pip. "It's a flower bush!" Arlo sniffed. "And it's humming," he said. "Bees!" said Pip. "They're asleep." They looked at the flower bush. It was so pretty. "This is a secret surprise," said Arlo. "And we found it together!" 10

But then Pip saw something else. Behind the bush was a small, dark hole. "What's in there?" she wondered. "Maybe treasure," said Arlo. "Or maybe a tunnel," said Pip. "Let's explore!" Arlo looked worried. "It might be scary," he said. "I'll go first," said Pip. "You can follow." She bravely stepped into the hole. Arlo followed close behind. 11

Inside the hole, it was cozy and warm. The walls were lined with soft moss. "It's not scary at all," said Pip. "It's like a little room!" Arlo smiled. "You were brave," he said. "And you were right behind me," said Pip. "That made me brave too." They looked around. In the corner, there was a pile of shiny pebbles. "Treasure!" they both said. 12

They each took a shiny pebble. "This is the best night ever," said Arlo. "I'm glad we met," said Pip. "Me too," said Arlo. "Exploring is more fun with a friend." They sat in the cozy hole and shared stories. Pip told about the time she followed a butterfly. Arlo told about the time he dug a tunnel to the other side of a hill. They laughed and laughed. 13

Then they crawled out of the hole. The sky was getting lighter. "I should go home soon," said Pip. "Me too," said Arlo. "But let's meet again tomorrow night." "Yes!" said Pip. "We can explore a new trail." They promised to meet at the big rock. Then they said goodnight. Pip walked home with a happy heart. She had a new friend.