Theme: Friendship, Free will

The Lizard Teco

One day, while walking around the trunk of a forest tree, the little lizard Teco made a new friend - the snake Naji. They both started having fun on the branches.

Naji curled, swayed and stretched until she reached another branch. Teco couldn't do any of that, but he was quick and followed her new friend, admiring her movements.

- Nice! Naji, you are amazing! I never thought that an animal without legs could do so much!

Naji, proud of the compliment, made more contortions to impress the little lizard. They played a lot until nightfall.

The next day, Teco was excited to see Naji again. He thought they would repeat the game. But instead, the snake proposed something else:

- That one is the tallest tree I know. Let's see who can get to the top first, right up there!

The lizard was afraid to climb so high. But he was ashamed to say that he didn't want to. He ended up agreeing, and they started climbing it.

Naji climbed easily, wrapping her body around the tree. However, Teco shuddered with each step. The snake noticed his friend's difficulty but continued climbing up to a very high branch from which, satisfied, she declared herself the winner.

Teco was far from reaching Naji, but he didn't care. He was relieved when the competition was over.

- I know what we can do now. Come with me, Teco.

The forest was shaded by the tops of large trees. But some rays of sunlight managed to pass through the leaves, bringing light and heat into the forest.

Teco, passing through one of those rays of sun, stopped for a while to feel the warmth of the heat and admire the beauty of the light.

- How delicious! Shall we get some sun, Naji?

- No, I don't like the sun! Come on, Teco! Muttered the snake.

Teco followed Naji once again. The two were waiting on a branch. When a tapir passed below, they jumped on its back. The poor thing took the biggest fright and left screaming and stumbling.

Naji laughed at the tapir's reaction. Teco, on the contrary, was not amused. He felt sorry for her and was regretted, because he thought it was not right to have fun at the expense of others.

- Hahaha! Come on, Teco! Let's get on the branch again. Someone else must be coming soon - said Naji, wanting to repeat the bad joke.

But this time, Teco acted differently. He looked at Naji and, with courage, said:

- No, Naji. I don't like to scare people! I am also afraid of climbing very high branches. I don't want to do these things anymore.

Naji was surprised by Teco's attitude, and replied bluntly:

- So, you are very annoying, you know? - and, turning around, left Teco, despising him.

The caterpillar was saddened by Naji's attitude. He thought they could do things they both liked, like real friends. But then he accepted it, thinking:

- I'll do what I like and think it's right. Doing only what she wanted, I was not happy.

Teco then decided to go to the edge of the lagoon, where the sun was shining. He thought he would be there alone, but he was pleasantly surprised. He found several animals that also liked to sunbathe.

Teco easily got friends with turtles, ducks, other lizards like him, and even alligators. He discovered that there were many friends who were enjoying themselves just as he did.

The little lizard still considered himself Naji's friend and talked to her when they met. But Teco chose that he no longer wanted to do dangerous or unpleasant things just to please someone.

Teco never regretted that choice, because with that he found real friends and was happy.

Translation:
Larissa Martine - larissa_am@hotmail.com

marcelapradacontato@gmail.com