The Big Run

Deep in the warm, golden desert, two fast friends decided to settle a big question: Who was the fastest animal in the sands?

Cheetah was famous for his blazing, lightning-quick speed. Ostrich was famous for his super-long legs that could stride across the dunes in huge leaps.

"First one to the cool shade of the big oasis wins!" chirped Ostrich, puffing out his feathers.

Cheetah flicked his long tail and grinned. "Ready, set... GO!"

Ostrich took off with a flash! His long, powerful legs moved so fast it looked like he was floating right over the warm desert sand. Whoosh! He gathered speed like a fast wind.

Close behind, Cheetah sprinted into action! With his sharp spots and sleek body, he zipped past the tall cactus plants like a rocket, leaving a little cloud of dust behind.

Thump, thump, thump went Ostrich’s giant strides!

Zoom, zoom, zoom went Cheetah’s speedy paws!

Both desert dwellers raced neck-and-neck toward the emerald-green palm trees of the oasis, eager for a cool drink of water after the big desert dash!

As they neared the finish line, Cheetah dug his claws into the sand for one final, super-speedy burst. SWOOSH! He zipped past the palm trees and crossed the line first!

"I won! I won!" panted Cheetah, flopping happily into the cool shade.

Seconds later, Ostrich skidded to a halt, completely out of breath. "Great... race... Cheetah," he gasped, wiping his brow. "You really are... the fastest!"

Cheetah smiled and turned toward the water for a well-deserved, refreshing drink. But as he looked down at the pool, his jaw dropped.

Sitting lazily on a floating palm leaf right in the middle of the water was Tortoise, sipping a tiny coconut drink through a straw.

"Took you two long enough," Tortoise yawned, taking another sip. "I’ve been resting here all morning."

Cheetah and Ostrich stared at each other in total disbelief. "How did you get here before us?!" cried Ostrich.

Tortoise chuckled and pointed a small claw toward the top of a big sand dune behind them. "You two ran all the way around the desert. I just tucked into my shell and rolled down the hill. Shortcut!"

Cheetah and Ostrich collapsed into the sand, laughing so hard their tummies ached. They had run the fastest race in the desert, but the slow-and-steady Tortoise had still beaten them to the splash!