Atty's Rainforest Parade

The whole rainforest was getting ready for Atty’s parade.

“For me?” Atty gasped.

“Yes, for you,” his mom said with a smile.

Atty felt proud at once.

Also sleepy.

Mostly sleepy.

Still, the parade was a very important event, and Atty intended to stay awake for it.

The monkeys spent all afternoon hanging flower garlands through the trees.

The parrots practiced singing.

The frogs bounced on mushrooms, shouting Bum-biddy-Bum.

One frog got so excited that he bounced right into a puddle.

Nearby, two toucans argued over party hats.

“This one says a party!” One said.

“This one says a celebration!” The other one said.

“This one says banana!” A third toucan said. He was wearing an actual banana on his head.

As the sky darkened, fireflies lit it up like tiny lanterns.

Atty watched everything from his mom’s back, blinking slowly.

Very slowly.

A Tapir rolled past, pushing a fruit float.

A half-full fruit float.

“I needed to taste it,” he explained.

Next, the snake orchestra arrived.

One snake played the trumpet.

One played the drums.

One snake accidentally tied itself into a knot and had to be carried.

“Parades take a long time,” Mom whispered.

Atty nodded seriously.

He wanted to help, so he practiced his parade wave.

It was an extremely slow wave.

 By the time he had finished, the monkeys had decorated three more trees.

Then Atty practiced smiling for the crowd.

That took a while, too.

At last, the moon rose high above the rainforest.

The animals gathered all around.

The drums were ready.

The lanterns glowed.

The jaguar announcer cleared his throat loudly.

“ANIMALS OF THE RAINFOREST!” He boomed.

Everyone cheered.

“Atty’s parade,” his mom whispered. “It's about to begin.”

But Atty didn’t answer.

His mom looked down.

Atty’s tiny claws still clung gently to her fur.

His little head had drooped sideways.

His eyes were closed.

Fast asleep.

The rainforest went quiet.

“Oh, no, “whispered one monkey.

“He missed his own parade,” said one tiny frog.

A toucan lowered his trumpet sadly.

But his mom smiled.

“Maybe,” she whispered. “We should have the parade anyway.”

So, the animals marched as quietly as they could.

The frogs played soft, tiny drum taps.

The parrots sang in whispers.

The fireflies drifted through the trees like tiny stars.

And all through the slow, quiet parade, Atty slept against his mom’s chest.