Leo the lion cub was a very sweet lion, but he had a secret. A very big, fluffy, wobbly secret. Leo couldn’t roar! All the other lion cubs his age could let out a mighty ‘ROAR!’ that shook the tall grasses of the savanna. But when Leo tried, only a tiny squeak came out. He’d puff out his chest, scrunch up his face, and… *squeak*.
He was terribly embarrassed. He worried the other cubs would laugh. He worried his mama and papa would be disappointed. So, Leo mostly stayed close to his mama, hiding behind her big, golden mane whenever the other cubs started practicing their roars. He wished he could be brave like them.
One sunny afternoon, Mama Lion took Leo to visit Old Man Tembo, the wise elephant. Old Man Tembo was known throughout the savanna for his gentle heart and helpful advice. Leo explained his problem, his voice barely a whisper. ‘I just… I can’t roar,’ he mumbled, looking at his paws.
Old Man Tembo listened patiently, his big ears flapping slowly. When Leo finished, he smiled kindly. ‘Courage isn’t about not being scared, little Leo,’ he said. ‘It’s about doing something *even when* you are scared. It’s about trying, even if you think you might fail.’
Leo thought about this. It was a different way to look at things. ‘But what if I squeak again?’ he asked.
‘Then you squeak again!’ Old Man Tembo chuckled. ‘Every roar starts as a little sound. Practice, little one. And remember, even a small sound can be important.’ He told Leo about a time he was afraid to cross a rushing river, but he did it anyway, one careful step at a time.
Leo thanked Old Man Tembo and went back to the pride lands. He decided to try. He found a quiet spot behind a large acacia tree. He took a deep breath, puffed out his chest, and… *squeak!* He felt his cheeks burn with embarrassment.
But then he remembered Old Man Tembo’s words. He took another deep breath and tried again. *Squeak!* A little louder this time. He kept practicing, and practicing, and practicing. Some squeaks were tiny, some were a little bigger, and some were… almost a rumble!
Suddenly, he heard a small cry. A little bird had fallen out of its nest, high in the acacia tree! The other cubs were too far away to hear. Leo knew he had to do something. He forgot all about his squeaky roar and ran towards the tree.
He stood at the base of the tree and, without even thinking, he let out the loudest sound he could muster. It wasn’t a perfect roar, not yet. It was a wobbly, shaky, squeak-filled rumble, but it was *his* sound. And it was loud enough to alert Mama Lion, who quickly came and gently helped the little bird back into its nest.
The other cubs gathered around, amazed. ‘Leo, you made a sound!’ exclaimed one. ‘It wasn’t a squeak, it was… a brave rumble!’ said another. Leo felt a warm glow inside. He hadn’t been trying to roar for them; he’d been trying to help. And that, he realized, was the bravest thing of all.
From that day on, Leo continued to practice his roar. It slowly grew stronger and more confident. But even when it was still a little wobbly, he knew he was brave. Because courage wasn’t about the sound he made, it was about the kindness in his heart and the willingness to try, even when he was scared. And that made him the bravest little lion cub on the savanna.