The animals in the forest wanted to choose a king.‘The elephant is the biggest animal,’ said the antelopes. ‘Let’s make the elephant our king.’‘No, no,’ said the zebras. ‘The lion must be our king because he is very strong.’‘The chameleon must be our king,’ said the frogs and snakes. ‘He’s so clever. He can go backwards and forwards.’
All the animals made different suggestions. Finally, they decided the king must be the fastest runner. The chameleon’s friends were not at all happy. ‘How can we make the chameleon win the race?’ they asked. ‘His legs are very short. The lion and the elephant will not let him win.’
‘Don’t worry,’ the chameleon said to his friends. ‘I have a very good idea. I will win the race and I will be the next king of the forest.’ The frogs and snakes could not understand at all. ‘What is chameleon’s idea?’ they wondered.
The day of the race arrived. All the animals were very excited. There were many contestants. The hare was so excited that he did not notice a small animal holding on to his tail.
When the hare reached the throne, he sat down and called, ‘I am the king of the forest.’ But the chameleon was already there. ‘Oh no, you’re not. I was on the throne before you. I’m the king of the forest.’
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