Once upon a time, there was a group of friends: a squirrel, a polar bear, a cheetah, a gazelle, a rhinoceros, a skunk, a dog, and a turtle. They all lived in the same forest and loved to play together. One day, they decided to have a race to see who was the fastest. The squirrel scampered up a tree, the polar bear swam across a pond, the cheetah sprinted across the savanna, the gazelle leaped through the grass, the rhinoceros charged ahead, the skunk waddled behind, the dog barked and ran circles, and the turtle plodded along slowly. In the end, they all crossed the finish line at the same time, realizing that it doesn't matter who is the fastest, as long as they have fun together. The End.

Reflections

• Who were the friends in the story?
• What did they do in the story?
• What did they learn at the end of the story?
• Why was the turtle slow?
• Can you name the different animals and describe their unique characteristics?