Little Lionheart

This is still a rough draft. I'm debating whether to add a bit more to the end.


Little Luke Lionheart loved lions. His favorite thing to do was to put on his lion costume and scare people with a loud ROAR!

One morning, Luke’s mom was making pancakes. Luke snuck up behind her as she mixed the pancake batter. Suddenly, he let out a huge ROAR! Luke’s mom screamed and dropped the bowl. “What a mess!” said Luke’s mom. “Lions can’t play in the kitchen,” and she sent him to the living room to play.

Luke’s dog Harry was chewing on his bone when Luke came into the room. Luke snuck up behind him and let out a big ROAR! Harry yelped and ran into the kitchen with his tail down. He ran right through  the pancake batter on the floor and made an even bigger mess. “Maybe lions shouldn’t play in the living room either,” said Luke’s mom, and she sent him to his room to play.

On the way to Luke’s room, he passed his baby brother’s room. The baby was fast asleep in his crib. Luke snuck up behind him and let out the biggest ROAR of all. The baby woke up and started crying.  Luke’s mom came to pick up the baby and said, “Maybe lions shouldn’t play in the house,” and she sent him outside to play.

Luke sat under a tree with his arms crossed. “Nobody here likes the way I play. I wish I was a real lion. Then I could go live with the lions and play the way I want.”

Suddenly, Luke began to grow bigger and bigger until he was as big as a real lion. His lion costume grew real fur and a bushy lion mane. Luke opened up his mouth and let out the biggest ROAR, he had ever heard. Luke was so excited! “Now I can go live with the real lions!” he exclaimed.

Luke bounded off to the zoo. Along the way, people screamed and ran the other way when they saw him. Luke just continued to ROAR happily.

When Luke arrived at the zoo, he leapt into the lions’ den.  “ROAR!” said Luke.

“ROAR!” said the other lions.

Luke pounced on the biggest lion and let out another “ROAR!” 

“What are you doing ?”  asked the lion. 

“I’m just being a lion.” said Luke.

“That’s not what  lions do,” said the biggest lion.

Luke frowned, “Okay, what do lions like to do?”

“Mostly sleep in the sun.”

“But it’s not nap time.” exclaimed Luke.

“It’s always nap time for lions,” yawned the lion and he stretched out and began snoring. Luke tried to sleep, but he just wasn’t tired.

Luke heard a commotion. He saw some of his friends were watching him from the outside of the lion cage. Luke ran over to them and said, “Hey guys, look at me! I’m a lion! Come play with me!” But all the other children heard was “Roar! Roar! Roar!” They all screamed and ran away.

Luke frowned, “Being a lion sure isn’t what I thought it was going to be.”

Suddenly, there was a loud clang. “Breakfast time!” yelled the zookeeper.

“Oh boy!” said Luke. “What’s for breakfast? I’m starving!”

“Raw meat, of course.” said the biggest lion.

“Ewww…” said Luke. “I think I want pancakes instead.”

“Lions don’t eat pancakes,” said the biggest lion.

Luke frowned. “I was happier being me. I wish I was just a little boy again.” Suddenly, Luke began to shrink smaller and smaller until he was the size of a little boy. His fur and mane turned back into a costume. He tried to let out a roar, but it was just his little boy voice again.

“Yay! I’m me again!” Luke was so happy.

All the lions started toward him. “Lions don’t eat pancakes, but I bet they eat little boys!” Luke said, and he quickly darted past the startled zookeeper as he opened the cage to feed the lions.

Luke ran all the way home, and found hot pancakes with maple syrup waiting for him on the table.