THE JUNGLE

The jungle was alive with sound.

Leaves rustled high above the trail. Birds called from somewhere in the treetops, insects buzzed
between enormous green plants, and every few seconds something moved where SuperJackie,
Gabi, and Max could not quite see it.
Max looked around carefully.
“Does the jungle ever get quiet?”
“Probably,” Gabi said. “Just not when we’re here.”
SuperJackie smiled.
“Listen closely. Sometimes the jungle tells you what’s happening before you can see it.”
They continued along the narrow path beneath the thick green canopy.
Suddenly, a loud cry echoed through the trees.
Max stopped.
“What was that?”
Another call answered from farther away.
Gabi looked up.
“It sounds like they’re talking to each other.”
“They might be,” SuperJackie said. “Many animals use sounds to communicate, especially in places
where thick plants make it hard to see very far.”
They walked deeper into the jungle.
Then Gabi noticed something unusual.
A bright red flower stood beside the path, but its leaves were covered with tiny drops of water even
though it had not rained.
“Where did all that water come from?” she asked.
Max touched his forehead.
“Maybe the jungle is sweating. I definitely am.”
Gabi laughed.
SuperJackie looked at the leaves.
“Rainforests are warm and very humid. There’s a lot of moisture in the air, and plants also release
water.”
“So the plants help make the jungle feel this wet?” Max asked.
“Exactly.”
A sudden movement above them made all three look up.
A small monkey leaped from one branch to another and disappeared behind a wall of leaves.
“Did you see that?” Gabi shouted.
Before Max could answer, something dropped onto his shoulder.
He froze.
“Nobody move.”
Gabi stared at him.
“Why?”
“Because something just landed on me.”
Very slowly, Max turned his head.
A tiny green tree frog sat on his shoulder.
Gabi covered her mouth, trying not to laugh.
“You have a passenger.”
Max’s eyes widened.
“A WHAT?”
SuperJackie stepped closer but did not touch the frog.
“Stay still.”
The little frog remained there for a moment, then jumped onto a broad leaf beside the trail.
Max let out a long breath.
“I knew exactly what I was doing.”
“Of course you did,” Gabi said.
They continued walking until the trail suddenly ended.
In front of them stood an enormous fallen tree.
Its trunk was far too large to climb over easily, and thick plants surrounded both sides.
“Now what?” Max asked.
Gabi pointed to the ground.
“Look.”
A line of leafcutter ants moved across the forest floor. Each ant carried a piece of green leaf much
larger than its own body.
The trail of ants disappeared around the fallen tree.
SuperJackie smiled.
“Looks like they know another way.”
Keeping a safe distance from the ants, the friends followed the direction of their trail.
It led them around the huge trunk and onto a small natural path hidden between the plants.
Max watched the ants disappear into the jungle.
“They carried all of that by themselves?”
“Together,” SuperJackie said. “A colony works as a team. Each ant has a job, and together they can
accomplish things that would be impossible for one ant alone.”
Gabi smiled.
“Sounds familiar.”
Max looked at SuperJackie and then at Gabi.
“You mean us?”
“Exactly.”
The hidden path opened onto a clearing filled with sunlight.
Colorful butterflies moved between flowers, and high above them a toucan rested on a branch.
For a moment, the three friends simply watched.
Max smiled.
“So what did the jungle teach us today?”
Gabi began counting on her fingers.
“Listen carefully. Look everywhere. Don’t panic when a frog lands on you.”
Max frowned.
“That last one feels very specific.”
SuperJackie laughed.
“And remember that even the smallest creatures can show us something important.”
Together, they continued down the trail.
Behind them, the jungle filled once again with calls, rustling leaves, and tiny footsteps.
And somewhere among the trees, another discovery was waiting.

Every day is a chance to be a hero.