Drama Llama and the Talent Night

It was Talent Night at the Mighty Zoo, and Drama Llama had been rehearsing for weeks. She had a song. She had a dance. She had a scarf that sparkled when she twirled.

She also had every rehearsal slot on the schedule. Smarty Pants, who was in charge of the schedule, pointed this out. “Technically, Drama, you’ve booked the stage for nine days in a row.”

“Art takes practice!” said Drama, and twirled away.

Nobody noticed Chill Panda sitting at the back with a little bamboo flute. He’d wanted to play a song he wrote by the bamboo grove. But every time he got close to asking, Drama was mid-twirl, and Panda thought, That’s okay. It’s fine. Take it easy.

On the night of the show, the string lights glowed, and Drama was magnificent. The zoo cheered. She took a bow, then another, then a third, and was just about to start her encore when she peeked backstage.

There was Panda, alone, holding his flute, looking at the stage the way she’d looked at it when she was very small.

Drama’s heart did a big, dramatic flip.

She stepped back into the spotlight. “Ladies and gentlemen, the encore is cancelled!” The crowd gasped. “Instead, please welcome the most talented, most mysterious musician in the whole zoo… CHILL PANDA!”

Panda walked out blinking. He played his bamboo-grove song, soft and slow, and the whole zoo went so quiet you could hear the crickets join in.

Afterward, Smarty pulled out his schedule. “For next year,” he said, “I’m making a sign-up sheet.”

“Good,” said Panda. “And next year, I’ll sign it.”