Chapter Five

Later, the Time of Changing Tree Stars arrived, where the tree stars were bright yellow, dark orange, deep red, and rusty brown. They would fall when the wind blew them off or when tree stars just did. It meant that the cold time was coming. After all, the different colored tree stars had fallen from the trees, the cold time was near. During the Time of Changing Stars, Little foot would pushed large piles of leaves together to form even bigger leaf piles with his round head. Cera would also move them along steadily using her blunt force, sharp horns, and head crest. Petrie scooped up tree stars in winged arms eagerly holding them greedily. He cradled them lovingly all together.

"How I love these changing tree stars."

"Yup, Yup!" Duckie giggled while throwing all the colored tree stars she had collected in the air. Spike chuckled, too. He stamped his feet on the tree stars that were on the ground. "Crunch! Crunch ! "

"Ha, Ha!" Chomper watched as he sat.

"Come, Chomper, we must help the others gathered the colored fallen tree stars together so we can make big piles of them. Then, we can all jump in them, too." Ruby smiled at Chomper.

"Yes!" Chomper replied jumping up and down rapidly. Chomper was also collecting fallen tree stars with his hands putting them into little arranged piles based on their size and colors. He laughed delighted as he fell into them. He would sit in them, tossing them up over his purple head and letting them fall over him.

"Let's make a real big pile so we can all jump into it together !" Little foot recommended cheerfully. One by one, they slowly gathered all the fallen, different, decorated colored tree stars they could find, putting them as many and as large piled tree stars as they could. When they were finally finished, they all went to the middle of the Great Valley so they could start to run towards the tall tree leaf piles. They leaped as high as they bounced on top of the large tree star piles. Little foot would run as fast as he could to land on top of the tree star piles laughing with overwhelming joy. Cera charged furiously at the huge tree star stacks. She crashed whirling around in them as she tumbled over. She, then, tossed over her head with her horns. One of the tree stars got stuck on her middle horn. She stared at it that her eyes crossed, She tried shake it off her horn with no results. So, she laid down on her back, and used her left hoof to remove it off her horn. Little foot giggled as she removed the struck tree star from her nose horn, smiling at him. Little foot started to have another strange vision of the small, brown, tiny white spotted creature. It was still calling for its mother.

This was like he was when he lost his mother. He could think of nothing else while he sat thinking about her. He couldn't even feel his hunger pains to eat something. He remembered watching some flyers fighting over a cherry only for it to be eaten by spike tail. Thank goodness, their mother had some cherries for all of them. He watched sadly, not even noticing them passing him or one of them offering him his cherry to eat.

"Mother, Mother, where are you?" It cried. It finally ran up a hill where its father, The Great Prince of the Forest stood.

"Your mother is no more." His father told him firmly. Little foot's vision disappeared before his eyes as quickly as it had come. He wondered if his friends had seen the vision or not. He didn't asked them. They didn't seem notice because they were still throwing themselves on the tree star piles. What was worse? He was starting to have another vision again. This time, with the young tawny creature in the dry land dying of thirst ad hunger, being surrounded by even hungrier flying feathers creatures. Little foot looked shocked at seeing this terrible vision, again. He did not want to see this furry thing get killed or be eaten alive. Those flying sharp beaked things were serious. Out of nowhere, two other furry creatures crashed into the flying feathers things that had landed on the dry sandy ground near the dying youngling. One of the creature was dark brown, fat as Cera with curved horns sticking out of his mouth, and had a black tuft hair on its large bulky face. His nose was large, pudgy flat snout while its skin was grayish bristle . He had bumps on its face. He was not a handsome animal, but he was for his kind. A smaller, tan slim creature sat on him. It was shouting while the other snorted like it had when it chased the feathered flyers. It had a long body and tail. It had a hair that was striped on its back. The fat one grunted heartily as the thin one encouraged it. The two creatures went up to the small tawny creature on the dry dirt ground.

"Yikes, it is a lion!" one of them screamed. It reacted like it had seen a sharp tooth, which Simba was.

"Can't we keep him? He is so cute."

"Those guys eat guys like us."

"But it is so cute, and he could be on our side."

" Of all the stupid things to say. Hey, I got an idea why don't we keep him and besides whose the brains of this outfit? "

"Aah?"

"Exactly, my point ."

Little foot shook his head furiously after starting blankly into space.

"Come on, Little foot, you are missing out of all the fun." Chomper shouted from inside a pile of tree stars. Little foot immediately ran to join his friends crushing tree stars with his feet.

As soon as the Season of Falling Tree Stars had started, it ended. Soon, the Cold Time would arrive in the Great Valley, but not before the Bright Circle Celebration. Petrie, as usual, was as eager to celebrate the Bright Circle.

"Let's clear out the area for the celebration." All the friends picked up sticks that were scattered everywhere. Tria and Tricia helped gather together tree stars so there would be plenty to eat.

"Yes, Yes, Yes, we will have plenty of sweet bubbles to eat." Duckie exclaimed while carrying some green grapes. Spike brought some dry grass. Chomper brought a small fish. "It is great, you learn how to fish. The Great Circle will be pleased ." Petrie said.

"The Bright Circle doesn't need to be pleased. Tickle fuzz." Cera sighed. "Though we should be pleased that you learned to fish so you will not try to eat us. At least, he won't try to show the Bright Circle his roaring." She moved her horned head in both disbelief and relief. It didn't take long for everyone in the Great Valley to arrive for the festive celebration. There was feasting, talking, telling stories, singing, and young ones showing off what they learned this last year. Petrie showed how he could back flip in midair. Duckie showed how long she could breath underwater. Spike hummed a happy tune. Tricia showed how she could move a stone all by herself. Ruby and Chomper showed their fishing skills while Little foot decided he would share one of his vision as a story he made up. He told all his friends and the older ones that he learned to make up stories with his mind thoughts. Only problem was starting his tale.

'Somewhere, far away, from the Great Valley, lived a young tawny furry one called Simba. He lived with two friends who were more like older brothers. They lived in a nice warm land where there were a lot of grasses and large trees. There were plenty of vines, shrubs and bushes growing all over. There was plenty of water, too. The whole place had large running rivers, ponds, lakes and a giant waterfall where Simba and his friends would cross on a nearby fallen mossy log. Sometimes, they would jump into the river while playing around to keep cool as the Great Circle shined above them. His friends' names were…" Little foot hesitated a little trying to remember them. "Pumbaa and Timon, that's what their names were ."

"What do they look like?" Ruby asked.

"Pumbaa is a dark brown and has horns sticking out of his mouth. He isn't as furry as Simba and Timon. He is the size of a young club tail who has started his great growing period. He also has a dark patch of hair on his head and flat nose he used to dig for squirms. Timon is the same color as Simba and looks like one of our furries in the Great Valley, except he is a bit bigger than they are and his tail has more hair on it. The small hairy creatures were rarely seen in the Great Valley since most only came out at night when most of the residents of the Great Valley were asleep. They were also came out at early when the Bright Circle was in the sky. Simba met his friends in a dry place when they save him from flying sharp teeth. Simba was hesitant at first when he met his friends.

Pumbaa asked him. "What's eating you, kid?"

Timon answered. "Nothing, He is at the top of the food chain." Little foot smiled.

Nobody else did. All his friends stared at him concerned. Little foot cleared his throat and continued. "We have a motto in life." Pumbaa said. "Hakuna matata."

" What a motto? Simba asked.

"Nothing, what a matter with you?" Timon replied. Little foot tried to chuckle.

"Is this supposed to be funny?" Cera muttered annoyed.

Little foot continued singing Hakuna matata. What a wonderful phrase, Hakuna matte. Ain't no passing craze, it means no worries for the rest of your days. It is our problem-free philosophy, Hakuna matata.

"That's nice, dear," Petrie's mother said politely.

" You really do have good imagination, Little foot." Tria said.

" Hakuna matata." chirped Tricia as she moved her little head about. Spike slowly was singing it as he stomped his feet.

"I suggest keeping it to yourself, Little foot." Thundered Topps, Father Three horn. "This song they sang to Simba."

Little foot wanted to continue his tale. He wanted to tell them that soon, Simba joined in singing with his friends. And not for long, Simba had a great growing period. He was a grownup. He was bigger, stronger, and had a big, beautiful dark brown, fuzzy hair growing all over his head. It was like a large brownish-red flower that looked like bright red colored tree stars all around his head. It shined brightly under the Bright Circle. His teeth and feet were getting bigger. His voice was rough and deep. He was singing while walking on the log near the waterfall at their home. Simba and his friends would walk along the log as they sang their favorite song: Hakuna matata.

"Cool ma ma tat, what? Cera remarked.

"Hakuna, matata, it means no worries in their language."

Unfortunately, it was too late for Little foot to keep his imaginative tale to himself. All of the other young ones were singing to each other. "Hakuna matata!" They ran around, dancing, playing, jumping and whirling about as they sang. "It means no worries!"

" No worries. The Bright Circle will come again to us very soon. The Cold Time will not last long." Petrie cooed ecstatic.

"One day, you'll be a great Story Speaker, Little Foot when you are older," smiled Grandpa Longneck proudly. Duckie walked along an uplifted log singing Hakuna Matata while moving her body. Chomper who wore red-brownish tree stars around his head like Simba's hair followed with Spike behind him. Petrie was on top of Spike moving his body and arms with the song, Hakuna Matata.

"Oh dear, dear oh," Ruby said looking on.

"Of all the ridiculous nonsense," Cera sniffed, "If I ever met Pumbaa and Timon, I give them no worries!"

The end of Chapter Five