Lemayan and the Magic of the Savanna — read aloud

Lemayan and the Magic of the Savanna

Lemayan is a brave boy. He lives in Kenya. Lemayan is a Maasai warrior. He is six years old. He has dark skin and short hair. He wears a bright red shuka. He wears a blue beaded necklace. Lemayan loves his family. He loves his home very much. Today is a big day. The sun is rising. It looks like a giant orange. The sky is pink and purple. Lemayan wakes up early. He smiles at the bright sun. “Good morning, world!” Lemayan says. He eats his breakfast. He feels very strong. Today he will help Papa. They will look after the cattle. The cattle are very special. They have big horns. They have brown and white spots. Lemayan grabs his wooden staff. It is smooth and brown. He walks out of the hut. The grass is very tall. It is the color of gold. The air smells like sweet rain. Lemayan walks with his Papa. Papa is very tall. Papa is a great warrior. Lemayan wants to be just like him. They walk across the savanna. The ground is warm. Lemayan sees a tall giraffe. The giraffe eats green leaves. It has a very long neck. Lemayan waves at the giraffe. The giraffe looks down and blinks. “We must be kind,” Papa says. “The animals are our friends.” Lemayan nods his head. He looks at the grass. He looks at the trees. He loves the savanna. They reach the big water hole. The cattle are very thirsty. They drink the cool water. Lemayan hears a small sound. It is a soft cry. Mew! Mew! Lemayan stops walking. He listens with his ears. He looks behind a big bush. The bush has sharp thorns. A little gazelle is there. It is a baby gazelle. Its leg is stuck. It cannot run away. The baby gazelle is scared. Its eyes are very big. Lemayan feels sad for the gazelle. “Do not worry,” Lemayan whispers. He moves very slowly. He does not want to scare it. He uses his wooden staff. He moves the thorny branch. He is very gentle. He is very careful. The gazelle stays very still. Lemayan works hard. Finally, the branch moves. The baby gazelle is free! It jumps up high. It runs to its mama. The mama gazelle waits nearby. She looks at Lemayan. She bows her head. Lemayan feels happy inside. He helped a friend today. Papa smiles at Lemayan. “You are a true warrior,” Papa says. “A warrior protects all life.” Lemayan stands tall. He feels very proud. He respects the big lions. He respects the tiny ants. He knows nature is a gift. We must take care of it. The sun begins to set. The sky turns deep red. It is time to go home. Lemayan leads the cattle back. He sings a happy song. The wind blows softly. The stars begin to shine. They look like tiny diamonds. Lemayan reaches his manyatta. His mama is waiting. She gives him a hug. Lemayan tells her the story. He tells her about the gazelle. He tells her about the trees. He is a brave boy. He is a kind boy. He is a protector of the land. Lemayan goes to sleep. He dreams of the savanna. He dreams of the golden grass. He is happy to be Maasai. He will always love nature.