Once upon a time, under the golden sun of a sizzling summer in South Africa, there lived a little girl named Lindi. Her hair was wild and wonderful, as big and beautiful as the ocean waves. Her eyes sparkled like the African stars that twinkle in the night sky, and she always wore her favorite dress, a fiery red one that swirled and shimmered like lava from the Nyiragongo volcano far away in Congo.

But even with all her sparkle and color, Lindi was lonely. She loved to play hide and seek behind giant rocks, catch with bouncing seed pods, and skip rope under the shade of acacia trees. But no matter how many games she knew, there was one thing missing... a friend to play with.

One sunny morning, Lindi set off on an adventure to find a friend to play with. As she skipped along the dusty path, she spotted a big, sleepy lion stretched out under a shady tree, his golden mane glowing in the sunlight.

Lindi tiptoed closer and said cheerfully, “Hello, Lion! My name is Lindi. Would you like to play with me?”  The lion yawned a lazy yawn and gave a gentle rumble. “Oh, no, little one,” he said with a sleepy voice. “I’ve got to save my energy. Soon, I must go hunt impala for my family and keep them safe from danger.” Then he gave a stretch, rolled over, and went right back to snoozing.   “ Okay... maybe next time,” Lindi sighed.
Feeling a little disappointed, she dusted off her dress and continued on her way.

Lindi kept walking, her red dress fluttering in the breeze. Suddenly, she spotted a sleek, spotted leopard lounging near a tall tree.  “Hello, Leopard!” Lindi called out with a bright smile.

The leopard blinked sleepily and replied, “Oh, hello, Lindi.”

Lindi beamed and asked, “Would you like to play with me?”

The leopard gave a gentle purr and said, “I wish I could, but I need to climb up into the trees. Daytime is for resting in the high branches, where it’s cool and quiet.”  Lindi’s smile faded just a little.
“That makes me a bit sad,” she said softly. “But I understand.”

With a small wave, she turned and continued on her journey, hoping the next friend would say yes.

As Lindi wandered through the dry grasslands, she bumped right into a big, grey rhinoceros!  “Oh! I’m sorry, Rhinoceros!” Lindi gasped.
“Are you okay?” The rhino chuckled with a deep rumble.
“I’m fine, little one. How about you?” Lindi looked down and sighed.
“I’m a bit sad today.”  “Oh no, what’s made you sad?” the rhino asked kindly. “No one wants to play with me,” Lindi said with a frown.

The rhinoceros gave her a gentle look. “I wish I could, dear Lindi, but I need to rest during the hottest part of the day. That way, I’ll be ready to graze when the cool night comes. Maybe tomorrow?” “Lindi!” called a deep voice. She turned to see Buffalo trotting by, his horns curved like crescent moons.