I Love You Just The Way You Are

In the African grasslands, there was once a mother Cheetah who had four cubs. She loved them all. She groomed them with her long tongue and cleaned the grayish -brown fur on their heads and backs.

Mother Cheetah hunted for their food as the four cubs followed her white tipped tail. At her command, the four cubs stopped while she chased a gazelle. She held the prey and called the cubs to practice the killing bite.

The youngest cub, Zita, was not happy. She wanted to learn more skills so she could hunt better and survive in the grasslands.

"I want to have a trunk like the elephant, so I can toss the gazelle. For sure Mother Cheetah will like me more" Zita told her siblings.

So Zita went to see the Fairy Queen Ricah who lived in an old castle.

"Oh Fairy Queen Ricah please help me, cried Zita. "I want to have a trunk so I can toss a gazelle. For sure Mother Cheetah will like me more."

So Fairy Queen Ricah tapped Zita's head with her magic wand. And in an instant her mouth with sharp teeth disappeared and a long trunk slowly formed on her face.

Zita hurried home to Mother Cheetah. "Look at me Mother Cheetah," Zita said happily. "I am very special. I"m not like the other cheetahs. I now have a trunk."

Mother Cheetah was shocked when she saw Zita. "What have you done to yourself? You are not my baby cheetah anymore. And how can you be the fastest mammal reaching speeds of more than 60 miles per hour if you have your trunk dangling infront? You cannot even practice the killing bite," said Mother Cheetah very sadly.

Feeling lonely, Zita went back to look for Fairy Queen Ricah again. "Please Fairy Queen Ricah," begged Zita, "grant me one more wish."

"I want to be myself again," wished Zita. Once again fairy Queen Ricah tapped her head with her magic wand and Zita was back to herself again.

Zita ran home quickly. "Look Mother Cheetah," she said happily, "I'm your little Zita again."

"Thank goodness!" said Mother Cheetah. "You're my little Zita once more.

Mother Cheetah then gathered her cubs and said: "I love everyone of you. I love you just the way you are!"

P-U-R-R-R-R. And the baby cheetah cubs were ready to nap after drinking their mother's milk.

Zita contentedly drink her mother's milk too and smiled to herself knowing that she was loved.