Malik and the Rainbow Songbird
Malik, a tortoise and a hummingbird search for the Rainbow Songbird and bring the forest back to life.
From “Champions of Africa's Biodiversity Struggle” · ages 6–10
Zara's Quest for the Last Golden Bee
When the flowers fade and the bees go quiet, Zara sets off to find the magical Last Golden Bee.
Read the story
Zara's home sat snugly among rolling hills. Every sunrise painted the land with lovely colours. Each morning, the air was full of sweet smells, as if the flowers were singing to her. The meadows around her house were full of bright flowers, swaying in the breeze. Their colours changed with every season. Zara danced through her days, and her laughter joined the gentle hum of busy bees, buzzing from one bright flower to the next.
One calm morning, as the sun peeped over the horizon, Zara went out into the fields. They were usually full of bright colours. But something felt wrong. Everything was too quiet, and the gardens she loved looked dull. As she tiptoed among the flowers, she saw that their colours had faded. Her heart sank. There was hardly any buzzing. Where had her bee friends gone? Zara felt very worried.
Zara was determined to find out why the flowers were fading and the bees were disappearing. She went to the middle of the village, where Mzee sat under the old baobab tree. Mzee knew the wisdom of the people who had lived long ago. His stories taught everyone about the land, its creatures, and how nature keeps everything in balance. Zara's heart was pounding. She hurried to Mzee, hoping his old stories would hold the answer.
Mzee had a wrinkled, wise old face. He sat with Zara under the old baobab tree. The magical firelight made shadows dance on the tree's bark, and he began to tell a very old story. He spoke of the Last Golden Bee, a magical bee whose wings held the power to make nature new again. People said that its pollen could bring even the most dried-up plants back to life, and make all living things healthy and happy together again.
So Zara set off on a quest. She was determined to save her beloved plants. On her journey, she met the cheeky, multicoloured, magical Monkey, swinging easily from branch to branch. The playful Monkey happily whispered the forest's secrets to her. Then Zara met the Chameleon, who could change colour to match the land around him. He had travelled far, and he told stories about all the places he had seen.
They walked through the thick jungle, along winding paths that seemed to whisper old secrets. Their feet crunched on fallen leaves. Hidden valleys called to them. The green plants gave them shelter, and they found clues in the bright flowers and in the patterns carved into the bark of old trees.
They went deeper into the jungle. Tall trees twisted their branches together and made a leafy roof, called a canopy. Sunlight peeped through and made playful patterns on the forest floor. Colourful butterflies, with blue and green wings, fluttered all around them. They danced in the air like a living kaleidoscope.
Deeper in the forest, the sky grew dark, and thunder rumbled far away. A fierce storm swept through the trees and soaked the travellers. The wind howled and the rain poured down. It almost washed their hopes away. But they held on to each other. They felt wet and tired, but they did not give up. They were as strong as the roots of old trees.
In the middle of the forest, in the soft light of the evening, they found a hidden, secret meadow covered in wildflowers. Zara stared in amazement. It felt calm and magical. Among the wildflowers stood tall amber flowers, with petals that glistened in the setting sun. And floating gently above them was the Last Golden Bee family! Their amber and gold colours shone like the setting sun itself.
Then the Golden Bee spoke. Its gentle voice was full of sadness. It told Zara that pollution was making the air dirty, and that people were building on the land where the plants used to live. Zara felt the bee's sadness in her own heart, and she knew they had to act fast. The Golden Bee sprinkled its magic pollen all over Zara's clothes. Zara promised to share the bee's message and to protect nature. She would be nature's voice, because so often nobody listens to nature's cries.
Zara went home to her village with the magic pollen. The wind carried the pollen into the fields all around. Zara told everyone the Last Golden Bee's message, and the villagers wanted to help. Together, they planted and watered the fields. Bare patches of land became green and full of life. They took great care of every young tree, until it grew big and strong. Soon, the quiet meadows were full of laughter again, and the future looked green and bright.
Days turned into weeks, and the village buzzed with new energy. Every morning brought lots of bright colours. The flowers that had drooped now stretched up towards the sky, and their petals opened like beautiful works of art. The air was no longer silent. It was full of the happy humming of bees, flying through the meadows and the fruit trees. Nature seemed to be celebrating, because the villagers had worked together to bring the earth back to life. The end!
Words to learn
- Amber
- A warm golden-orange colour.
- Baobab
- A giant African tree with a very thick trunk. Villages often meet in its shade.
- Canopy
- The very top of the forest, where the branches and leaves meet like a roof.
- Chameleon
- A lizard that can change the colour of its skin to match what is around it.
- Kaleidoscope
- A tube with mirrors and coloured bits inside. When you turn it, you see bright, changing patterns.
- Meadows
- Fields full of grass and wild flowers.
- Mzee
- A Swahili word for a respected old man.
- Pollen
- A fine yellow dust made by flowers. Bees carry it from flower to flower, which helps plants make seeds and fruit.
- Pollution
- Dirt, smoke, rubbish or chemicals that make the air, water or land unhealthy.
- Quest
- A long journey to find something important.
What would you do?
Zara saved the flowers by helping the bees. Bees need flowers, and flowers need bees! What could you do to help the bees?
- Plant flowers that bees love Lovely! Bees drink nectar from flowers and carry pollen, so more flowers means more bees.
- Ask grown-ups not to spray poisons on plants Very wise! Some sprays that kill bugs can hurt bees too.
- Put out a shallow dish of water with pebbles Clever! Bees get thirsty, and the pebbles give them somewhere safe to land.
- Tell friends why bees are important Just like Zara! When people know about bees, they want to protect them.
More stories from this book
Amina and the Elephant Oracle
When the elephants start to disappear, Amina and a wise owl go to ask the Elephant Oracle why.