Leo Learns to say Sorry

Leo the little lion woke up feeling extra playful one sunny morning. He stretched his paws and shook his fluffy mane. The jungle was alive with sounds of birds and rustling leaves. Leo decided to find his friend Mia the monkey for some fun.

Leo spotted Mia swinging from a vine collecting bananas. "Watch me roar!" Leo shouted, pouncing forward with excitement. His sudden jump scared Mia, making her drop all her bananas. Mia's eyes filled with tears as she saw her breakfast scattered on the ground.

"Why are you sad? We can play something else," Leo said with a shrug. Mia turned away without saying a word. Leo didn't understand why his friend was upset. He walked away feeling confused and a little angry.

Leo wandered to the old baobab tree where Ellie the owl lived. Ellie was reading a book when she noticed Leo's troubled face. "What's bothering you, young lion?" she asked kindly. Leo explained what happened with Mia that morning.

Ellie adjusted her feathers and looked at Leo with gentle eyes. "It sounds like you hurt Mia's feelings without meaning to," she explained. "Mia worked hard collecting those bananas for her family." Leo's ears drooped as he began to understand.

"But what can I do now?" asked Leo with worry in his voice. "When we hurt someone, even by accident, we say sorry," Ellie explained. "Saying sorry shows you care about their feelings." Leo had never thought about saying sorry before.

"How do I say sorry properly?" Leo asked, eager to learn. Ellie smiled and taught Leo the three parts of a good apology. "Say what you did wrong, show you understand why it hurt them, and promise to do better." Leo practiced with Ellie until he felt ready.

Leo searched the jungle for Mia, his heart beating fast. He found her sitting sadly by the river with her family. The other monkeys gave Leo stern looks as he approached. Leo took a deep breath and stepped forward.

"Mia, I'm sorry I scared you and made you drop your bananas," Leo said sincerely. "I didn't think about how hard you worked to collect them for your family." Mia looked up, surprised to hear these words. "I promise to be more careful when we play together."

"I want to help you collect new bananas," Leo offered hopefully. Mia's frown slowly turned into a small smile. Together they gathered fresh bananas from the trees. Leo even used his strong back to carry the heaviest bunch.

By lunchtime, they had collected twice as many bananas as before. Mia's family was impressed by Leo's helpful attitude. "I forgive you, Leo," Mia said, offering him a banana. They shared a snack together under the shade of a palm tree.

That evening, Leo thanked Ellie for her wise advice. "Saying sorry wasn't easy, but it fixed our friendship," Leo admitted proudly. Ellie nodded with a smile, "The strongest lions are those who know how to make things right." Leo went to sleep that night feeling braver than ever before.