The Snake Who Wanted Legs
Sly the snake wishes he could run and jump like his jungle friends. Then he discovers what snakes do best.
In a steamy green jungle lived a long, stripy snake named Sly.
Sly watched the monkeys swing through the trees. He watched the frogs hop from leaf to leaf. He watched the jaguar run.
"Everyone has legs but me," Sly sighed. "How am I supposed to have any fun?"
He tried to hop like the frogs. He just flopped. He tried to swing like the monkeys. He slid right off the branch — plop!
"I'm no good at anything," he said.
Just then, the parrot squawked. "Help! My baby fell into a narrow hole under the big tree roots!"
The monkeys tried to reach in, but their arms were too short. The frogs couldn't fit. The jaguar's paw was much too big.
Sly looked at the hole. It was long and narrow and twisty. "I can fit," he said.
He slithered in, winding his long body between the roots. He found the baby parrot, let her climb onto his back, and carefully slithered back out.
Everyone cheered. "Sly, you're amazing! Nobody else could have done that!"
Then the monkeys asked, "How did you move so fast without legs?"
Sly showed them how he pushed against the ground with his strong muscles and scales. He could climb trees by wrapping around them, and he could even swim!
Sly smiled a long, happy smile. He didn't need legs. He was a snake — and that was pretty great.
⭐ The End ⭐
💬 Talk about it
- What did Sly wish he had?
Show answer
Legs. - Why was Sly the only one who could rescue the baby parrot?
Show answer
He was long and thin enough to fit into the narrow, twisty hole. - How do snakes move without legs?
Show answer
They push against the ground with their muscles and scales.
