I'm going to be reading a book to you from a Rosie the Hippo adventure series.
This is Rosie and Friends,
One of a Kindness.
And it's written by Helen C.
Hipp.
Scattered among the African grasslands live many types of animals.
Some are small and chatty like the tick bird.
Tick,
Tick,
Tick.
Others are big and pushy like Bud the rhino and his pal Hornsby.
Every day the tick bird saw Bud and Hornsby face off.
Wondering why,
The tick bird asks Bud,
Why do you and Hornsby always fight?
We don't fight.
We push and shove each other because any rhino who wants to be a leader has to prove that he is tough,
Said Bud.
Tough on the inside and on the outside,
Said Hornsby,
Proudly tilting his large horns toward the sky for all to see.
Such silliness,
Thought the tick bird.
With little shade to protect them from the scorching sun,
The rhinos headed toward their favorite watering hole.
Wanting to cool down,
Everyone entered the water,
Including Bud and Hornsby.
But once Bud and Hornsby stepped back onto dry land,
They were back at it,
Pushing and shoving to show off their strength.
They pushed each other closer and closer to the slippery edge of the water,
Where pushing and shoving became more and more difficult.
Hornsby,
Who was closest to the water,
Tried to push back,
But slipped,
Falling face first in the mud.
All of the rhinos burst out laughing.
Hornsby,
Angry from falling,
Stood up and ran toward Bud.
Bud moved aside just as Hornsby reached him.
Hornsby ran until he stepped on a new patch of mud and fell again,
But not face first in the mud.
Hornsby fell on the hard,
Dry ground.
The rhinos laughed even harder at Hornsby.
All you're doing today is falling,
They said,
Snickering.
Hornsby lifted his head to say something,
But Bud spoke first.
Look at your horn!
Hornsby looked down his long nose.
His horn was cracked down the middle and crooked.
His pride,
Joy,
And symbol of strength was gone.
This proves it,
Bud said.
You are no longer tough,
And that means I am now head honcho.
Bud,
Turning away from Hornsby,
Signaled to the rhinos to follow his lead.
Hornsby called out to them.
Please wait!
Please wait!
The rhinos turned to face him and yelled back,
Don't ever come back!
Feeling lost and alone,
Hornsby walked through the night and into the next day,
Looking for friends.
In the morning as the sun came up,
Hornsby saw the banks of the river.
Weary and thirsty,
He went to the river's edge and took a long drink.
As he drank,
He saw a pink hippopotamus on the riverbank.
Hello,
The hippo said.
My name is Rosie.
Are you okay?
Hornsby nodded.
You haven't seen TLC around here,
Have you?
She asked.
Feeling nothing more than to be left alone and having no idea who TLC was,
Hornsby shook his head no and went about his business.
I have no place to go and no friends,
And I am so,
So tired,
Thought Hornsby,
Slowly dropping onto the ground for a nap.
When he awoke,
He noticed that something felt different,
A little odd.
His horn was on the ground.
Oh no,
Hornsby said.
Spreading over the loss of his horn,
Hornsby wondered how he could be a proper rhino without it.
A monkey sitting in the tree branches above Hornsby jumped down to investigate.
She picked up the horn and shook it.
Nothing happened.
She looked inside the horn.
There was nothing to see.
She blew the horn and out came a sound like a wind's whistle.
Many animals stopped,
Lifting their heads to listen to this familiar sound of the African grasslands.
The monkey blew the horn again before placing it on the ground.
Hornsby looked first at the horn and then looked up to see Rosie with her friend,
A crocodile,
On the other side of the tree.
The crocodile held a book with the title Kindness.
Picking up his horn,
Hornsby put it to his mouth and blew.
Out came more sounds of the African grasslands.
More animals heard the sound and began walking toward Hornsby.
Hornsby was excited to have other animals close to him,
And maybe they could be his friends.
So he waited for all of the animals to gather before he blew his horn again.
Once again,
Hornsby's horn had made him feel powerful.
Now full of himself,
He blew it hard.
But the tune that came out was sour,
And the animals covered their ears and ran away.
Hurt by their rejection,
Hornsby yells,
I am a tough rhino,
And I don't need any friends.
Rosie and the crocodile looked at each other and sighed.
Hornsby,
Hearing their sighs,
Looked over at the crocodile.
Hi,
My name is TLC,
The tender loving crocodile,
He said,
Showing his kindness book to Hornsby.
You must be a weakling,
Hornsby said.
Why would you think that,
TLC asked?
You can't be strong and tough and nice,
Hornsby said.
Actually,
Kindness is my strength,
Said TLC,
Revealing his good nature.
How can I be kind and a rhino,
Asked Hornsby.
You have already showed yourself to be a kind rhino today when you led from gentleness,
TLC said.
Why don't you show him,
Rosie said.
TLC picked up the horn and blew.
The gentle sound of wind came out.
Smiling,
TLC handed the horn back to Hornsby.
Hornsby blew the horn again.
Hearing sounds of kindness,
All the animals came back.
Looking at all the animals that had gathered,
TLC said,
All of us are one of a kind,
Hornsby.
Your life is one of a kind,
And your acts of kindness are your power for understanding yourself and others.
And that is how you make friends,
Rosie added.
Rosie,
Wondering what Hornsby had learned,
Asks,
Who are you again,
And what kind of rhino are you?
I am Hornsby,
A one of a kind rhino with a crooked horn that blows sounds of kindness.
That makes me a one of a kindness rhino,
A friendly kind of rhino.
Rosie asks,
How will you share your one of a kindness with others?
The end.
