One sunny day, Boppo the fluffy llama walks in a big field. The air fills with drum beats! Tap, tap, boom! The drums make Boppo's ears wiggle. In the field, Boppo sees a boy. He has long black hair and wears blue pants. His name is Thunder Cloud. "Hi!" says Thunder Cloud. "Would you like to learn about my tribe's dance?" Boppo's wool starts to shimmer with happy colors. Meeting new friends is so fun!
Boppo nods eagerly, their silver-rimmed glasses sliding a bit on their nose. "Tell me about the drums first, please!" Thunder Cloud smiles big. "The drums are very special to us," he says. "Each beat tells a story." Boom, boom, tap! The drums play again. "This drum is made from wood and deer skin," Thunder Cloud shows Boppo. "My grandfather made it. When we play it, we talk to Mother Earth." Boppo's periwinkle-blue ears twitch with each beat. Their wool sparkles with rainbow colors of excitement. "The drums help us stay in time when we dance," Thunder Cloud explains. "They are like the heartbeat of our tribe." Thunder Cloud holds the drum out.
"Can you teach me the dance?" Boppo asks, their violet eyes sparkling with interest. "Yes!" Thunder Cloud says happily. "This is a friendship dance. We move in a circle, like the sun." Thunder Cloud starts to step slowly. His feet make soft pat-pat sounds on the grass. "First, we step to the right," he shows Boppo. "Two small steps, like this." Boppo tries to copy, their fluffy wool bouncing with each step. The story ribbons in their wool dance along too. "Now lift your arms up," Thunder Cloud says, raising his hands to the sky. "Like reaching for the clouds!" Boppo stretches up tall, their wool shimmering with joy. The drums keep beating: Boom, tap, boom! "You're doing great!" Thunder Cloud smiles. "Now we can..."
Thunder Cloud and Boppo dance together, moving in a circle like the sun. Their feet make soft patterns in the grass as they step-step-step. The drums beat stronger: Boom! Tap! Boom! Other children from Thunder Cloud's tribe join the circle. They all dance together, arms reaching up to the sky, then down to touch the earth. Boppo's wool glows with all the colors of a rainbow as they dance. Their periwinkle-blue ears bounce in time with the drums. The story ribbons in their wool twirl and spin. "When we dance together," Thunder Cloud says, "we are all one family." The sun starts to set, painting the sky in beautiful orange and pink. The drum beats slowly fade away, like a lullaby. Boppo and Thunder Cloud smile at each other, new friends brought together by the magic of dance and drums. "Come back tomorrow," Thunder Cloud says. "We can dance again!" Boppo nods happily, their violet eyes twinkling behind their silver-rimmed glasses. They learned something very special today - that music and dance can make everyone feel like family. As Boppo walks home, they can still feel the rhythm of the drums in their heart: boom, tap, boom.
