A Cloudy Day in the Hippo Pool
The sun peeked shyly through the clouds, making the hippo pool feel a little gloomy. Happy Harry splashed happily, but his friend Angry Arnold was stomping his feet. Walter the hippo was biting his nails. Arnold's face was red, and his eyes were wet with tears. Walter the hippo was wringing his hands. Today, Arnold and Walter were feeling sad because their parents would live in different homes. Harry saw his friends struggling and he wanted to help them feel better. Carl the hippo sat calmly near the edge, watching the cloudy sky. He sighed softly and closed his kind eyes. Harry knew they needed a sunny day in their hearts, even if the real sun hid behind the clouds. Harry thought hard about how to bring the sun back to their faces. He remembered a game his mom used to play with him when he felt sad. Bringing joy to other people always brought a smile to his own face.
The Silly Faces Game
Happy Harry knew just what to do to distract his friends. "Let's play the silly faces game!" he shouted, splashing water in the air. Angry Arnold scowled harder. Arnold did not want to play any game. Worried Walter peeked through his fingers but Harry bounced on the waves, creating even more splashing. Calm Carl opened his eyes and watched, amused. "First," said Harry, "we make the silliest face we can think of!" Harry puffed out his cheeks, crossed his eyes, and stuck out his tongue. He looked so funny that even Angry Arnold cracked a tiny smile. Walter peeked one more time and started giggling, covering his mouth with his paws. Harry then showed some more hilarious faces. Carl quietly made a funny face too, which made Harry laugh. Arnold started to show a small smile too. They took turns making goofy faces. After each face, they all laughed a little bit more.
Building a Rainbow Bridge
Now that his friends relaxed, Harry had an idea. The game helped a little, but they still looked gloomy. "I have another idea!" Harry announced. "Let's build a rainbow bridge to our parents' houses!" Arnold and Walter looked puzzled. "How can we do that?" Walter asked, his voice still a little shaky. Harry collected colorful smooth rocks from the riverbed. "We can use these shiny rocks!" He put them in a long line, making a pretend bridge that shimmered in the water. Carl, always thoughtful, added some reeds to make it look like a real bridge. Arnold carefully picked the biggest red rock he could find. Walter found a smooth blue stone that matched his sad eyes, but now they were shiny with hope. They spent a long time carefully lining up the rocks, giggling and working together. By the time they were finished, the sun had started coming out.
