THE LITTLE SLOTH WHO WANDERED TOO FAR
THE LITTLE SLOTH WHO WANDERED TOO FAR 🦥🌿
Chapter One
The Sloth Who Wouldn’t Stay Still
High above the jungle floor, tucked safely inside a cosy tree house made of branches and leaves, lived a little sloth called Mojo.
Mojo lived with his mummy, daddy, and five brothers and sisters.
The tree house was always noisy.
Someone was always swinging from branches.
Someone was always arguing over bananas.
And somebody was almost always sitting on somebody else by accident.
Mojo was the youngest.
And definitely the busiest.
Which was unusual for a sloth.
Most sloths liked slow naps, lazy stretching, and hanging upside down peacefully for hours.
Not Mojo.
Mojo wriggled.
Mojo climbed.
Mojo wandered.
And Mojo asked approximately nine thousand questions every day.
“Mummyyyy…”
“Yes, Mojo?”
“Do parrots ever get sore throats from talking too much?”
Daddy chuckled softly nearby.
“He definitely gets that from you.”
One sunny morning, while the family gathered fruit and leaves near the tree house, Mojo climbed down all by himself.
Just for a tiny adventure.
Only…
The jungle looked very different from the ground.
Huge leaves stretched overhead like giant umbrellas. Strange noises echoed through the trees, and colourful birds swooped across the sky.
Mojo blinked nervously.
“Mummyyyy…?”
No answer.
Suddenly every tree looked exactly the same.
His tiny heart began thumping quickly.
Meanwhile, back at the tree house, one of his sisters frowned.
“Mum?”
“Yes?”
“Where’s Mojo?”
Silence.
Daddy slowly lowered the banana he was holding.
“Oh no.”
Deep in the jungle, Mojo began running through the trees in full panic.
Well…
Running for a sloth.
Which still looked quite slow.
“MUMMYYYYY, IS THAT YOOOUUUU?” he called dramatically.
A monkey stared at him in confusion as he scrambled past.
Branches shook.
Leaves flew everywhere.
Mojo crashed directly into a bush.
“Aaaaahhh!”
Back near the river, Mummy Sloth suddenly gasped.
“That sounded like Mojo.”
Daddy pointed quickly.
“There!”
The tiny sloth was racing through the jungle like a furry little hurricane.
“MOJO!” shouted his brothers and sisters all at once.
Mojo froze mid scramble.
“Mummyyyyy?”
Then suddenly the whole sloth family wrapped around him in the biggest hug imaginable.
“We were so worried!” Mummy cried.
“I only went for a tiny adventure,” Mojo mumbled.
Daddy sighed gently.
“You must never wander off alone.”
Mojo nodded seriously.
For approximately three minutes.
Because suddenly…
Rustle rustle.
Something moved in the bushes nearby.
Mojo’s eyes widened.
“What was THAT?”
Before anyone could stop him, he zoomed towards the noise.
“MOOOJOOO!” his family shouted.
Leaves flew everywhere as Mojo scrambled through the jungle again.
Then suddenly he stopped.
A tiny fluffy squirrel sat beneath a tree crying quietly.
“Oh,” Mojo whispered softly.
The squirrel sniffled.
“I can’t find my family.”
Mojo’s eyes widened.
“You can understand me?”
The squirrel gasped.
“You can understand squirrels?!”
The two tiny animals stared at each other in amazement.
Then Mojo slowly looked around.
The trees stretched endlessly in every direction.
No tree house.
No mummy.
No daddy.
No brothers or sisters.
His tiny smile disappeared.
“Oh no.”
He was lost again.
Chapter Two
The Lost Little Squirrel
Mojo stared at the tiny squirrel beneath the tree.
The squirrel stared back.
For a moment neither of them spoke.
Then the squirrel sniffed loudly and wiped his eyes with his fluffy tail.
“I’m Pip,” he said quietly.
“I’m Mojo.”
Pip blinked in surprise.
“You really can understand squirrels.”
Mojo nodded slowly.
“And you can understand sloths.”
“That is extremely unusual.”
“I know.”
The jungle suddenly felt much bigger around them.
Leaves rustled overhead while strange birds called from somewhere deep in the trees.
Mojo swallowed nervously.
“I think I got lost again.”
Pip sighed.
“I got lost first.”
“Well… that’s slightly better.”
“How?”
“I don’t know. It just feels less embarrassing.”
Pip gave a tiny laugh for the first time.
Then somewhere nearby came another hissssss.
Both boys froze instantly.
Pip grabbed Mojo’s arm.
“What was that?”
Mojo’s eyes widened.
“I don’t know.”
The bushes trembled.
The hiss came louder this time.
HISSSSSSS.
Pip screamed.
Mojo screamed louder.
Then both boys accidentally climbed the same tree at exactly the same time and bonked heads halfway up.
“Ow!”
“Sorry!”
They scrambled onto a branch, panting heavily.
The bushes below moved again.
Then a tiny green snake poked its head out through the leaves.
The snake blinked up at them.
“Why are you shouting?”
Mojo and Pip stared.
The snake looked confused.
“I was just looking for berries.”
Pip whispered slowly:
“That is the smallest snake I’ve ever seen.”
The little snake puffed up proudly.
“I’m not small.”
“You’re the size of a banana.”
“I’m growing.”
The snake curled around the branch politely.
“My name’s Sachi.”
Mojo relaxed slightly.
“You’re… not trying to eat us?”
Sachi looked horrified.
“Oh goodness no. I faint if I see anything too dramatic.”
Almost immediately a large butterfly flew past.
Sachi squeaked and nearly fell off the branch.
Pip blinked.
“He wasn’t joking.”
Chapter Three
The Jungle Maze
By late afternoon, the jungle had become hot and sticky.
Mojo, Pip, and Sachi wandered carefully between giant roots and twisting vines.
Every direction looked exactly the same.
Pip scratched his head.
“I thought we came from that way.”
“No,” Mojo said. “I think it was that way.”
Sachi looked around nervously.
“I think we’re all completely confused.”
They walked for another few minutes.
Then arrived back at the exact same tree.
The three children stared silently at it.
Pip pointed slowly.
“That’s definitely the same tree.”
“How do you know?” Mojo asked.
Pip folded his arms.
“Because I accidentally licked tree sap there.”
“Why would you do that?”
“I thought it was honey.”
“Was it honey?”
“No.”
Sachi looked increasingly worried.
“What if our families can’t find us?”
The jungle suddenly felt quieter.
Mojo’s shoulders drooped.
He imagined his mummy searching through the trees. His brothers and sisters calling his name.
For the first time, his adventure did not feel exciting anymore.
It felt scary.
Pip noticed his expression.
“We’ll find them,” he said softly.
“How?”
Pip thought for a moment.
“Together.”
Sachi nodded quickly.
“Yes. My mum always says frightened brains make muddled choices.”
“That sounds wise,” Mojo admitted.
Sachi smiled proudly.
“She says it right before she walks into spider webs.”
Suddenly Pip’s ears twitched.
“Wait.”
Drip.
Drip.
Drip.
Water.
The children looked at each other hopefully.
“Maybe there’s a river nearby,” Mojo said.
“And maybe rivers lead somewhere,” Pip added.
“And maybe there are snacks,” Sachi whispered hopefully.
So together, the three tiny adventurers followed the sound.
Chapter Four
The Berry Disaster
The sound of water eventually led them to a small sparkling stream.
Mojo rushed forwards happily.
“WATER!”
He slipped instantly.
SPLOOSH.
Pip burst into laughter as Mojo flailed dramatically in the shallow stream.
“I meant to do that,” Mojo announced from the water.
“You absolutely did not.”
Sachi carefully lowered himself onto a rock.
“At least now you smell slightly less like panic.”
The three children drank cool water from the stream until their tiredness faded slightly.
Then their stomachs rumbled.
Very loudly.
Pip looked around hopefully.
“We need food.”
Nearby bushes overflowed with bright purple berries.
Mojo’s eyes widened.
“BERRIES.”
The three children rushed towards them excitedly.
Then suddenly:
RUMBLE.
The bush shook violently.
Pip froze mid berry grab.
“Why is the bush moving?”
A huge sleepy tapir slowly lifted its head from underneath the branches.
The children screamed.
The tapir blinked lazily.
“…why is everybody shouting today?”
Mojo pointed shakily.
“You were under the berry bush!”
“I was having a nap.”
Sachi whispered:
“We almost picked berries off a sleeping animal.”
The tapir yawned hugely.
“Well. That would have been awkward.”
After several very apologetic explanations, the tapir finally allowed them to collect a small pile of berries.
Pip stuffed his cheeks immediately.
“These are amazing.”
Purple juice dribbled everywhere.
Sachi accidentally swallowed a berry whole and hiccupped three times.
Mojo leaned against the tree trunk, finally feeling slightly calmer.
Maybe things would be okay after all.
Then thunder rumbled overhead.
All three children looked up slowly.
Dark clouds rolled across the jungle sky.
“Oh no,” Pip whispered.
Chapter Five
The Storm Shelter
Rain crashed through the jungle only minutes later.
Massive drops splashed through the trees while thunder boomed overhead.
The children scrambled beneath enormous leaves for cover.
“It’s too loud!” Sachi squeaked.
“I hate storms,” Mojo admitted quietly.
Pip looked surprised.
“You do?”
Mojo nodded.
“I pretend I’m brave, but really I just panic very slowly.”
Pip smiled slightly.
“That’s still braver than me.”
Lightning flashed brightly above the trees.
Then suddenly Sachi pointed.
“There!”
Hidden between thick roots sat a tiny hollow beneath an old tree.
The children hurried inside just as the rain became even heavier.
The little shelter was cramped and cosy.
Water dripped softly outside while thunder rolled through the distance.
For a while, nobody spoke.
Then Pip whispered:
“Do you think our families are scared?”
Mojo thought about his mummy.
His daddy.
His noisy brothers and sisters.
“They’re definitely looking for us.”
Sachi curled into a little green spiral.
“My mum says families never stop searching.”
The storm slowly softened outside.
Pip yawned sleepily.
Then Mojo noticed something glowing faintly through the rain.
Far away between the trees.
A lantern.
Tiny.
Golden.
The children stared.
“That definitely wasn’t there before,” Pip whispered.
The lantern floated slowly deeper into the jungle.
Almost as if it wanted them to follow.
Chapter Six
The Lantern in the Rain
The storm had almost passed by the time the children stepped carefully from the shelter.
The glowing lantern still floated ahead of them, bobbing gently through the trees.
Mojo frowned.
“Why does everything mysterious in forests float?”
Pip shrugged.
“Maybe walking is tiring.”
Sachi pointed nervously.
“Should we really follow it?”
The lantern paused.
Then drifted forwards again.
Mojo squinted at it.
“I think it wants us to come.”
“That is usually how dangerous things begin,” Pip muttered.
Still, none of them wanted to stay alone in the dark jungle.
So together, they followed the floating light.
The deeper they walked, the stranger the jungle became.
Flowers glowed softly in the rainwater.
Tiny frogs chirped from puddles.
Strange silver fireflies swirled through the air like dancing stars.
Then suddenly the lantern stopped beside an enormous tree.
Its trunk was wider than ten sloths standing side by side.
Carved into the bark was a tiny wooden door.
The children stared.
“That is definitely not normal,” Pip whispered.
Slowly, the little door creaked open.
Warm golden light spilled onto the wet jungle floor.
And a deep voice said:
“Well honestly, it took you long enough.”
Chapter Seven
The Old Tortoise and the Map
The three children froze.
Slowly, a giant tortoise shuffled through the tiny doorway.
Well…
Not exactly giant.
But compared to them, he was enormous.
His shell was covered in moss, tiny flowers, and curled vines. Round glasses balanced on the end of his nose, and a small lantern hung beside his neck.
The tortoise squinted at them carefully.
“Hm,” he grumbled. “Three lost children, one storm, and absolutely no sense of direction.”
Mojo blinked.
“How did you know we were lost?”
The tortoise stared at him.
“You are standing in the middle of the jungle looking frightened at a tree door.”
“Fair point.”
The old tortoise introduced himself as Elder Moss.
Inside the tree trunk, warm glowing lanterns hung from twisting branches while soft cushions covered the floor.
Pip gasped.
“This place is amazing.”
Sachi accidentally rolled down a pile of cushions and disappeared completely.
“I’m alright!” his muffled voice called.
Elder Moss chuckled softly.
Then he pulled out a large rolled up map.
Only…
The map moved.
Paths twisted slowly across the paper while rivers shimmered in silver ink.
Mojo stared.
“The map is alive.”
“The jungle changes constantly,” Elder Moss explained. “The safest paths are found by calm hearts, not clever feet.”
Pip frowned at the map.
“I don’t understand that at all.”
“Most adults don’t either,” the tortoise replied.
Sachi pointed towards a little red mark near the bottom corner.
“What’s that?”
Elder Moss’s smile faded slightly.
“The Ravine of Echoes.”
The room grew quieter.
“Nobody crosses it alone,” he said carefully.
Mojo looked confused.
“Why not?”
The old tortoise glanced towards the rain outside.
“Because the ravine whispers your fears back to you.”
Pip swallowed nervously.
“That sounds horrible.”
“It usually is.”
Chapter Eight
The Ravine of Echoes
The next morning, the jungle felt quieter after the storm.
Mist curled between the trees while birds chirped softly overhead.
Mojo, Pip, and Sachi followed the moving map carefully through twisting vines and giant roots.
Eventually the trees opened onto a deep rocky ravine.
Fog drifted through the cracks below.
And from somewhere inside came whispers.
Tiny.
Soft.
Constant.
Mojo’s stomach tightened immediately.
“I don’t like this place.”
The whispers grew louder as they stepped closer.
“You’ll get lost again…”
“You make everything worse…”
“You should have stayed home…”
Mojo stopped walking.
The voice sounded strangely familiar.
Pip heard different whispers.
“Nobody listens to you…”
“You’re too small…”
“You’ll never find your family…”
Pip’s ears drooped sadly.
Even Sachi looked frightened.
“You’re weak…”
“You’re scared of everything…”
The little snake curled tightly around himself.
The ravine echoed with hundreds of whispering voices.
For one terrible moment, none of the children moved.
Then Mojo remembered something Elder Moss had said.
The safest paths are found by calm hearts.
He took a deep breath.
Then another.
And slowly reached for his friends.
“We stay together,” he said firmly.
Pip grabbed one side of his paw.
Sachi wrapped gently around his arm.
The whispers suddenly weakened.
The fog began pulling back.
A narrow stone bridge appeared through the mist.
Pip blinked in surprise.
“It worked.”
Mojo smiled slightly.
“We’re braver together.”
Carefully, the three friends crossed the bridge side by side while the ravine whispered harmlessly behind them.
Chapter Nine
The Hungry Monkey Bandits
By afternoon, the children were exhausted.
Mojo’s tummy rumbled loudly.
Pip’s tummy rumbled louder.
Then Sachi’s made a tiny squeaky sound like a broken whistle.
The three children looked at each other sadly.
“We need food,” Pip announced.
Luckily, nearby trees overflowed with beautiful golden fruit.
Mojo’s eyes widened.
“We are saved.”
The children hurried forwards excitedly.
Then suddenly:
THUD.
Something dropped onto Mojo’s head.
A banana.
Mojo looked up slowly.
Three monkeys stared down at them from the branches.
One wore a leaf like a hat.
Another held approximately seventeen bananas.
The third narrowed his eyes suspiciously.
“That’s our fruit,” the hat monkey declared.
Pip folded his arms.
“You don’t own trees.”
“We climbed it first.”
“That is not how ownership works.”
The monkey gasped dramatically.
“Rude squirrel.”
Within seconds, monkeys swung down from every direction.
Tiny monkey bandits surrounded the children completely.
Sachi squeaked nervously.
“There are so many of them.”
One monkey pointed at Pip’s fluffy tail.
“I like that.”
Another poked Mojo’s tummy.
“He’s squishy.”
Mojo frowned.
“That felt unnecessary.”
The monkey leader crossed his arms proudly.
“If you want fruit, you must win a challenge.”
Pip groaned.
“Why does every jungle creature have rules?”
The challenge turned out to be surprisingly simple.
The monkeys had lost their baby brother somewhere high in the trees.
“If you help us find him,” the leader explained, “we share fruit.”
Mojo immediately nodded.
“We’ll help.”
Together the children searched through twisting branches until finally Sachi spotted a tiny frightened monkey clinging upside down beneath a leaf.
“There he is!”
The baby monkey burst into tears happily when his brothers rescued him.
The monkey leader smiled warmly.
“You are good tiny creatures.”
Then he handed them the biggest pile of fruit they had ever seen.
Pip nearly cried with happiness.
Chapter Ten
The Families Find Each Other
As evening painted the jungle gold and orange, the children followed the moving map one final time.
The lantern glowed brighter and brighter as they walked.
Then suddenly…
Voices echoed through the trees.
“MOJO!”
“PIP!”
“SACHI!”
The three children froze.
Then all at once they raced forwards.
Mojo nearly burst into tears when he saw his mummy scrambling through the leaves towards him.
Behind her came Daddy and all five of his brothers and sisters.
“MOJO!” they shouted together.
The tiny sloth crashed into the biggest family hug imaginable.
“We were SO worried!” cried Mummy.
“We searched everywhere!” said one sister.
“You disappeared twice!” shouted another.
Mojo blinked.
“…twice?”
Nearby, Pip’s squirrel family rushed down from the trees chattering excitedly.
At the same moment, two enormous snakes slithered through the bushes towards Sachi.
The little snake immediately wrapped himself around them happily.
“MUM!”
For a while, the jungle filled with hugs, happy tears, relieved laughter, and approximately forty seven people talking at once.
Eventually Mojo looked towards his two new friends.
Pip smiled.
“We actually did it.”
Sachi nodded proudly.
“We survived the scary jungle.”
“And the whisper ravine,” Mojo added.
“And the monkey bandits,” Pip said.
“And the terrifying berry bush,” Sachi whispered.
The children laughed.
Then Elder Moss appeared slowly from behind the trees, lantern glowing softly beside him.
“You found your way home,” he said warmly.
Mojo looked up thoughtfully.
“We only found it because we helped each other.”
The old tortoise smiled.
“Exactly.”
That night, safely back inside the noisy tree house, Mojo curled beside his brothers and sisters while jungle rain tapped softly outside.
His adventure had been scary.
And exciting.
And confusing.
But as he slowly drifted to sleep, one thing made him smile most of all.
Even the biggest jungle feels smaller when nobody faces it alone.
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