[Part 3 in our series of characters inspired by Moodscope's 20 Cards!]

Alice the Aardvark and Margot the Meerkat are the BEST of friends. Alice is very down to earth, keeping herself to herself, and Margot always seems to have her head in the clouds.

"Why do you always stand so tall?" said Alice one day, "I'm curious. Did you go to finishing school?"

Margot laughed, "No, it's my crazy Grandma and Grandpa – they were both in the military – and they make all the grandchildren stand to attention as soon as they can hold themselves up. They say it's 'cos we notice things that other animals miss! I've kept doing it because I not only see amazing things every day, I FEEL amazing when I stand tall!"

"I wish you could find some fresh termites, I'm really hungry!" said Alice.

"Well, why don't you try standing to attention, like me?" said Margot.

"I'll get dizzy, silly!" said Alice, and then thought twice. "Actually, I'll be OK if I rest against something tall."

The two friends walked to the nearest Baobab Tree and Alice stretched up as high as she could.

"Attention!" commanded Margot and they both burst into fits of giggles, falling to the ground again.

Once they'd got a grip on themselves, they both stood to attention again, and Alice saw the world as if for the first time. There were termite castles everywhere – as far as her eyes could see.

"So THIS is what it is like to be attentive," said Alice.

"Yes!" agreed Margot, "There are so many possibilities when we stand tall and look outwards, as far as the eye can see. The world can be an amazing place."

"I feel strangely happy," smiled Alice – her face flushed with pleasure.

"That's because you're seeing possibilities that were invisible to you before," said Margot, "And that gives us more hope. Be attentive and notice new things today, and tomorrow you'll be living in a new world – a bigger, wider, grander world!"

Of course, it would only be right if the two friends rode off into the Sunset, wouldn't it? Well, they didn't exactly 'ride' but they did stroll off, content, side-by-side, occasionally standing attentively to attention, and chatting about all manner of treasures they discovered on their way back home...

That night, before she went to sleep, Alice said dreamily, "Every day, I'm going to stand to attention at least once, and look for things I couldn't see before..." and then she snored her way deep into happy dreams of a bigger, brighter world.

Neil

A Moodscope member.