One of the special traditions was called The Savanna Clean-Up Day.

All the young animals were asked to bring something to help with the cleaning, like a toothbrush, twigs, sweeping leaves, or water.

Janja the rabbit was always quick and rushed everything.
 “I don’t want to be late! I will be the first,” he said to himself.

 He ran fast and grabbed a big bundle of toothbrush twigs without looking carefully.
 He didn’t even listen to Mama Ostrich, who was giving advice.

Kobe the tortoise was slow and thoughtful.
He stopped by every tree, looking for the best twigs.
When he reached Mama Ostrich, he greeted her kindly.

Mama Ostrich smiled and said,

"Don't grab just any branch, Kobe. Look for soft twigs from the wild olive tree. It's gentle on teeth and perfect for brushing."

She fluffed her feathers and added, 

"Now, the African blackwood is strong and dark. Good for carving flutes and walking sticks, but much too hard for brushing!"

The animals gathered near the small, drying river. The sun was hot, and dust floated in the air like flour.

Everyone was excited to begin the clean-up.

Janja the Rabbit bounced forward, holding his big bundle high.

The animals clapped — until the cunning monkeys tried using his twigs.
SNAP! CRACK!

“Ow! My tooth!” cried one.
“These are too dry!” shouted another.

Janja looked confused. His twigs were stiff, sharp, and brittle — no good for cleaning at all.