Hippo and the Red Bird

A red bird flew over a lake in Africa. He had traveled many miles to get back to his favorite spot, and now that he was here, he was going to rest his wings.

He swooped down and landed right on top of a hippo's nose! He chirped and started hopping from side to side on the hippo's snout. The hippo opened one big, sleepy eye and saw the red bird standing right between his nostrils.

"Well, look who it is!" the hippo grumbled in a happy voice. "You've been gone a long time."

"I was on vacation!" the little red bird sang.

"Oh, that sounds lovely," the hippo said, closing his eye again. "Did you bring me anything?"

The bird thought for a second. Then he looked at the ground, picked up a single blade of grass, and dropped it into the hippo's wide mouth. "Thank you!" the hippo said, swallowing the grass with a loud crunch. Then he opened both of his eyes wide and looked at the little bird.

"How about you come sit on my head for a while?" the hippo suggested. "I can tell you about all the mud puddles I found while you were gone." "Okay!" the red bird said, hopping from the hippo's nose and onto the top of his head.

The hippo and the red bird spent the rest of the day together, talking and laughing under the hot African sun.