Mimi on the Watchtower Rock

Read-aloud note

Read slowly, soften your voice near the end, and leave a small pause before the final goodnight line.

Story

At bedtime, a tiny tap made everyone wonder. The savanna grass was dancing this morning. Swish, swish, swish. And that could only mean one thing — it was a windy, wonderful day for watching.

Mimi stood at the bottom of the big flat rock and looked up. The watchtower rock was tall. Taller than Mimi's ears. Taller than Mimi's tummy. Taller than all of her, really. Every day, someone in the meerkat family climbed up there to watch the wide, golden plain and call out what they saw. And today — for the very first time — it was Mimi's turn. She wiggled her little claws. She took a very big swallow. "What if I'm too small?" she whispered.

The path crossed the blue chair, the moonlit rug, and a little basket by the window.

Her Auntie Zola put a warm paw on her shoulder. "Here is the secret," Auntie Zola said softly. "Stand on your tippy-toes. Breathe in slow. Then count three brave things you see." She tapped Mimi's nose once, very gently. "Just three." And up Mimi climbed.

At the top, the wind puffed her cheeks and tickled her ears. The plain stretched out enormous and golden all around her. Mimi went up on her tippy-toes. She breathed in slow. And then — she looked. Way, way out across the grass, she saw stripes. Lots and lots of stripes, moving together in a long wobbly line. Zebras! A whole herd of them, crossing the plain like a river of black and white. "Zebras!" Mimi called down, and her family cheered below.

She looked again. Tall — so, so tall — a giraffe was stretching her spotty neck up into an acacia tree, nibbling the very top leaves as if they were her favourite snack. Mimi giggled. "Giraffe!" she called. More cheers. One more brave thing. Mimi looked left, toward the cool shadow under a thorn bush. There, all curled up and soft and breathing slowly, was a tiny lion cub, fast asleep in the shade. His little paws were twitching in a dream. "Baby lion," Mimi whispered, because she didn't want to wake him. Her family heard anyway. They cheered the quietest, cosiest cheer they had.

When Mimi climbed back down, Auntie Zola wrapped both arms around her. The whole family pressed in close and warm, all their tails touching. The grass was still swishing. Swish, swish, swish. And Mimi leaned against Auntie Zola and counted, very quietly, the three brave things she carried home inside her chest.

Then came the gentle surprise: the little sound was making a tiny path for a friend.

The little friend helped right away, tucked the tiny clue into a cozy spot, and smiled.

Scenes

A Windy, Wonderful Morning

The savanna grass was dancing this morning. Swish, swish, swish. And that could only mean one thing — it was a wonderful day for watching. Mimi stood at the bottom of the big flat rock and looked up, up, up. Today was her very first turn.

Auntie Zola's Secret

Auntie Zola put a warm paw on Mimi's shoulder. "Here is the secret," she whispered. "Stand on your tippy-toes. Breathe in slow. Then count three brave things you see. Just three." She tapped Mimi's nose once, very gently.

Three Brave Things

At the top, the wind puffed Mimi's cheeks and tickled her ears. She went up on her tippy-toes. She breathed in slow. And then — she looked. Far across the grass, a long wobbly line of stripes moved together. "Zebras!" she called, and her family cheered below.

A Giraffe and a Sleeping Cub

Tall — so, so tall — a giraffe stretched her spotty neck up into an acacia tree, nibbling the very top leaves. "Giraffe!" Mimi called. Then she looked left, into the cool shadow of a thorn bush. There, curled up soft and breathing slow, was a tiny lion cub, fast asleep. "Baby lion," she whispered, so she wouldn't wake him.

Three Brave Things to Carry Home

When Mimi climbed back down, Auntie Zola wrapped both arms around her. The whole family pressed in close and warm, all their tails touching. The grass was still swishing — swish, swish, swish — and Mimi counted, very quietly, the three brave things she carried home inside her chest.