Perfect: a Sloth Story

High up in the green and leafy tree tops of the Amazon rain forest, a sleepy baby sloth lay lazily clinging to the back of his mother sloth. His eyes growing heavy, gently, gently, the baby sloth began to drift off to sleep, and was soon floating about the ground in his dreams, watching the other creatures go about their daily business.

A jaguar was basking in the sunlight in a clearing by a log, close to the edge of the forest and enjoying the warmth of the sun on his back and from beneath his body where the sun had baked the ground. His beautiful dappled coat, with its gold, brown and black patterns, dazzled and shone in the heat.

The baby sloth looked up into the trees, where Spider monkeys chattered excitedly as they swung from branch to branch, and tree to tree with their long limbs, and then gathered together to chatter some more.

Then swooping down between the dense branches, a Harper eagle flew, his short wings and a navigational tail, helping him to dart between the foliage, before plunging so close to the ground and then returning to the safety of the tree tops.

The baby sloth awoke, filled with awe and envy and nuzzled into his mother's neck.

"I wish I had a beautiful dappled coat like the jaguar," he told his mother.

"You don't need one!" she replied, turning towards him slightly as she answered. "You have a very special coat. It is thick and warm and changes colour to protect you. It is home to many tiny creatures who all need you. There is no need for you to have a colourful coat. Your coat is perfect," mother sloth told him.

"I wish I could swing from tree to tree like the spider monkeys," the baby sloth continued, now satisfied with his coat. "They can reach and jump and get everywhere. It looks like such fun!"

"But you can carefully crawl, saving your energy and keeping you hidden. Besides," she went on, "all your food is surrounding us. There is no need for you to swing from tree to tree. Your movement is just perfect." Baby sloth was quiet for a moment, looking around and realising that he was indeed surrounded by all the food he could eat.

"Mother," he went on, "I wish I could fly like the eagle, and dart between the branches. He is so clever and graceful!"

"You don't need to fly!" his mother explained. "But you can swim instead! You are fast and safe and can breathe really well in the water. The water can take you to different places and keep you out of harm's way. There is no need for you to fly. Your swimming is just perfect!"

Baby sloth listened and scratched happily at the words of his wise mother. He felt his eyes growing heavy again.

"You are perfect just the way you are," said mother sloth. And he knew it was true.