The Lost Roar

At the bottom of the garden, where the long grass grew, Oscar heard a strange sound. "Excuse me! Psst! You!" A stripy little tiger peeked out from a flower. "Have you seen my roar? I've been looking for hours!"

"My name is Rumble," the tiger cub said. "My roar used to shake leaves right off every tree! But yesterday it vanished. Now listen to me…" He opened his mouth wide. "MEEP!" A ladybird fell off a leaf. Rumble sighed. "It's getting worse."

"Then we'll find your roar!" said Oscar with a grin. They pushed through the grass, and the jungle grew in. The leaves became bigger. The vines curled around. There were strange, rustly noises all over the ground. "Roar, roar, where did you go? Are you up high? Are you down low?" Then something squawked from a branch overhead.

"Have you seen Rumble's roar?" called Oscar to a parrot. "SEEN A ROAR! SEEN A ROAR!" it squawked back louder. "Can you help us find it?" "FIND IT! FIND IT! FIND IT!" The parrot flapped off, pleased as could be. "That was no help," said Rumble. "MEEP," agreed Oscar.

They found some monkeys swinging through the trees. "Have you seen a roar?" asked Oscar politely. The monkeys clapped their hands and laughed. "Maybe it's hiding in your other half!" They searched under branches and inside a hat. They even asked a sloth. The sloth blinked. "I'll think about that…" And settled down for a nap.

An elephant came marching with a trumpet-like trunk. "Perhaps you need practice! Give this a go!" She lifted her trunk. "TOOOOOOT!" Rumble took a breath and tried just the same. "MEEP!" The elephant's ears flapped in surprise. "That's a very nice meep," she said kindly. "But it isn't your roar." Rumble's stripes seemed to droop.

Beside the river, a hippo yawned wide. His mouth looked big enough for Oscar to climb inside! "Perhaps your roar is hiding in there?" asked Rumble. The hippo shut his mouth. "Only my lunch," he mumbled. The sun dipped low. The shadows grew long. Rumble sat quietly, feeling terribly wrong. "Maybe I'm not a proper tiger after all." His little voice was hardly a whisper. "MEEP."

Oscar sat beside him on a moss-covered stone. "You don't have to roar to be brave," he said softly. "But every tiger roars," Rumble replied. "Maybe," said Oscar, "but you're kind, and you tried. We'll keep looking together. I'm staying right here." Rumble leaned close. For a moment, the jungle was still. Then… SPLASH! A tiny cry rang out from the river.

A baby monkey had slipped from a slippery rock! Now the rushing river was carrying her away. "HELP!" she squeaked. "Somebody, please!" The monkeys were too far up in the trees. The elephant was hidden beyond the reeds. Rumble jumped up. His heart thumped hard. The baby monkey was almost at the bend!

Rumble planted his paws. He lifted his head. He opened his mouth… And out came a ROAR! A GREAT, BOOMING, JUNGLE-SHAKING ROAR! The birds shot skyward. The monkeys swung down. The elephant came charging from the other side of town. Everyone heard Rumble. Everyone came running.

The elephant reached the river and stretched out her trunk. She lifted the baby monkey to safety at last. The jungle burst into cheers. "You did it!" cried Oscar. Rumble stared at his paws. "That was my roar?" "That was your roar!" said Oscar. Rumble stood taller. His tail curled with pride. Then he gave a little practice ROAR to the sky!

The jungle grew quiet as the stars twinkled bright. Rumble walked Oscar home through the soft evening light. "Will your roar ever go missing again?" asked Oscar. "Perhaps," said Rumble. "But now I know when it matters, I can find it within." At the garden's edge, they waved goodbye. Then came a rustle, a shuffle, a sound from nearby… A tiny, happy MEEP. Then a mighty… ROOOAAAR!