The Little Toucan's Friend

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

High in the rainforest, where the leaves shine wet and green, a little toucan sat on a branch. His feathers were glossy black, his chest was white, and his throat was yellow like a lemon. His beak was huge and bright orange, with a dark tip. He had round blue eyes with white rings, and tiny blue patches around them. He was small, about the size of a large pear, but his heart was full of big, quick ideas. 1

The little toucan loved to fly fast. Zip! He swooped between the tall trees. Whizz! He darted past hanging vines. "Look at me!" he chirped. "I can go anywhere in a blink!" The rainforest was full of sounds: frogs peeped, insects hummed, and leaves whispered. But the toucan never stayed still long enough to listen. He was always ready for the next quick thing. 2

One morning, the toucan flew down to a low branch and saw a strange shape. It was a sloth, round and soft, with shaggy grey-brown fur and a lighter face. Long curved claws held the branch, and sleepy dark eyes blinked slowly. The sloth had a gentle smiling mouth and a moss-green tint on its shoulders. It moved its head very, very slowly. "Hello," said the sloth in a soft, slow voice. 3

The toucan tilted his head. "Hello! Do you want to play? I can fly fast!" The sloth smiled. "I am slow," it said. "But I can try." The toucan zoomed around the branch. "Catch me!" he called. The sloth lifted one long claw and moved it a tiny bit. Then it stopped. "This may take a while," it said. The toucan sighed. Waiting was hard. 4

The toucan flew ahead and back, ahead and back. "Come on!" he chirped. The sloth moved one claw, then another, very slowly. "I am coming," it said. The toucan tapped his tiny feet. He wanted to go fast, fast, fast! But the sloth was kind, and the toucan did not want to be rude. So he waited. And waited. The rainforest buzzed around them. 5

Finally, the sloth reached the next branch. "You waited," it said. "Thank you." The toucan shrugged. "It was hard," he admitted. The sloth smiled its gentle smile. "I know. But you did it." The toucan looked at the sloth's long claws and shaggy fur. "You are brave to try," he said. The sloth's sleepy eyes opened a little wider. "No one ever said that before," it said. 6

The sloth pointed a claw up toward the top of the trees. "I have heard of a hidden tree," it said. "It has bright flowers, all colors of the rainbow. But it is high in the canopy. I have never been there." The toucan's blue eyes sparkled. "I can fly up and look!" he said. The sloth nodded slowly. "I will try to follow," it said. "But I will be slow." 7

The toucan flew up through the green leaves. The canopy was a world of light and shadow, full of rustling leaves and sweet smells. He saw branches thick with moss and tiny flowers like stars. But he did not see the hidden tree. He flew back down to the sloth. "I could not find it," he said. "We will find it together," said the sloth. "Slowly." 8

So they started up the tall tree. The sloth moved one claw, then another, pulling itself up inch by inch. The toucan flew in little circles around it. "Are we there yet?" he asked. "Not yet," said the sloth. "But we are closer." The toucan wanted to zoom ahead, but he stayed near his friend. He noticed small things: a beetle with shiny wings, a drop of water on a leaf, a tiny frog the color of a ruby. 9

After a long while, they reached a high branch. The sloth was tired, but it kept its gentle smile. "You are doing great!" said the toucan. The sloth's sleepy eyes looked grateful. "I could not do this without you," it said. The toucan felt warm inside. Flying fast was fun, but helping a friend was even better. They rested together on the branch, listening to the rainforest breathe. 10

Then the toucan saw a flash of color through the leaves. "Look!" he chirped. He flew toward it and found a tree covered in bright flowers. Red, yellow, pink, and blue blossoms hung like tiny lanterns. The toucan gasped. "It is beautiful!" He flew back to the sloth. "You must see it! It is just a little higher." The sloth took a deep breath. "I will try," it said. 11

The sloth climbed the last few branches, one slow claw at a time. The toucan waited, cheering softly. "You can do it!" he said. Finally, the sloth reached the top. Its sleepy eyes opened wide. "Oh!" it whispered. The flowers glowed in the sunlight, and a sweet smell filled the air. "It is worth the wait," said the sloth. The toucan nodded. "Yes," he said. "Some things are." 12

They sat together under the bright flowers. The toucan did not zip or zoom. He sat still and looked. "I am glad you are slow," he said. "Why?" asked the sloth. "Because you made me stop and see," said the toucan. The sloth smiled. "And you made me try," it said. "I did not know I could climb so high." They watched the petals sway in the breeze.