Sally the Sloth woke up early one sunny day. She rubbed her eyes. Uh-oh, Sally thought. I see fruit everywhere! Tiny pink bananas, big green mangos, tall orange tangerines, round purple plums! Oh, I wish I could go faster. Sloths do everything slowly. And by the time Sally picked a snack from a tiny pink banana tree, the sun was climbing high in the sky.
“Bonjour, Sally,” said a green parrot sitting on a branch above Sally.
When Sally looked up, it took her a moment to remember how to answer. Sally always spoke slowly.
“Bonjour, Henri,” Sally said at last.
“Which way are you going today?” Henri asked.
“Ummmm,” said Sally, thinking very hard. “I will walk that way, past all those tall trees. Then I will go right to the river today.”
“That is very far, Sally,” said Henri.
“Yes, but I know all the best trees, with all the best fruit, and when I go to the river, I will love the water so much,” Sally said.
Sally picked a big green mango next to the tree. Then she took one line and put it in front of her on a branch. Now she could bounce on it to the end of the mango. She did the same with the other line and went on her way.
Henri slowly flew around Sally. He did not think Sally would get to the river by evening. There were so many trees to climb, so many fruits to eat. Sally would pick up every one! Henri flew after some clouds. He peeked to see what it was like over the river. He started to feel bad for his friend, who was so slow. Henri knew Sally by now. When she took ripe reddish-orange tangerines off the trees, she’d stay to pick every single one, making a big pile. Henri felt bad because he knew she would not reach the river that day.
So instead of eating fruits and sitting on a branch waiting, he flew back to Sally.
“It is such a beautiful sunny day,” said Henri. “Would you like to go to the river with me? You can take me there and we can spend all night together by the river.”
“Yes, that sounds great,” said Sally.
Then they climbed high in the branches until they found a big branch where it broke off. And there they sat eating pretty colors of fruits together until the sky was full of glittering stars.
“Listen, Henri,” said Sally in a thin voice, and it sounded so pretty in the green jungle at night. “Listen to the jungle. I will never forget this jungle. I will never forget this night. Even the hot yellow stones at the bottom of the river are slippery. Yes, I can feel it when my feet touch them. I would not want to be in all other rivers of the world right now. This is my very favorite.”
And she said, “Henri, the pink bananas you picked were the sweetest bananas I ever had. It was so much more fun to have you here by my side to enjoy all the beauty of what was around us, to keep my heart lovely and warm. I felt you in my heart so sweet.”
And Henri the parrot leaned over and whispered in the ear of Sally the Sloth, so very sentimental.
“You know what, Sally? You taught me I do not have to rush, that life is about enjoying every bit of it. I learned patience from you.”
So the parrot looked at the jungle and smiled, and at the river full of sparkling stones. And it was a good night.
The next evening Henri helped Sally to the river again. He stayed there with her about eight moonlit nights. Then, one evening, they flew back together through the jungle to Sally’s own tree with very pink bananas, big yellow tangerines, and ripe reddish-orange mangos. Every day Sally and Henri shared their meals, all the good juicy fruits, enjoying the jungle and each other’s company until it was time for Henri to visit other friends.
“Are you sure you can walk all the way to the river again, Sally?” he asked.
“Of course, yes,” answered Sally.
And off she went at her own leisurely pace, in any direction she chose, full of patience, daring somewhere else.