Buttercup Koala Bear had the grooviest nails in all the jungle. Sometimes they were pink with yellow happy faces on them, the next red with apples and the next blue with little angels in raincoats. Every day Buttercup changed the pattern, colour and number of nails done.

 Buttercup's day always began with getting her nail polish bottle out and carefully applying whatever design was for the day and then topping her nails with sparkles.

 Speedy Cheetah wasn't thinking about his nails as he chased through the jungle at top speed. He was hungry and his lunch was running before him. If he could increase his speed, that gazelle was his. His full attention was on that gazelle, not Buttercup Koala Bear, who was seated on the path. The gazelle dodged her, but Speedy smashed into her sending the nail polish bottle spinning through the air.

 "My 'Heavenly Pink Lemonade,'" yelled Buttercup, very upset. "Look at the smears all over my middle nail. You should be ashamed of yourself."

 "You shouldn't be sitting in the path," argued Speedy, who saw that the diversion caused the gazelle to be far down the path. "You cost me my lunch!"

 "Look at that nail," insisted Buttercup, holding up her hand. "Do you see the mess you caused?"

 "Look, I'm sorry, okay? If there is anything I can do, just tell me," said Speedy. After all, he was to blame and the nails that weren't smeared were quite lovely.

 "Well, you could always do them over again. You do such a great job," explained Speedy.

 "You could help me. You did say you would do anything," said Buttercup.

 "I don't know anything about doing nails," said Speedy, blushing.

 Buttercup applied a fresh coat from another bottle named "Blueberry Party" and held them under Speedy's nose. "You can blow on them to dry them."

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 Speedy looked around to see if anyone was looking and then gave a quick blow on the outstretched nail.

 "Well, I'll be on my way. See ya!" said Speedy.

 "Is your word no good?" asked Buttercup. "You said you would do anything."

 "I blew on your nails, didn't I?" questioned Speedy. "I think that is enough."

 "Let me paint one of your nails," said Buttercup, putting one paw on her hip waiting for a reaction.

 "Are you kidding me? A cheetah with nail polish! I would be laughed at by all the animals in the jungle," said Speedy, not believing that Buttercup would ask such a request.

 "Only one nail and I will put anything you want on it," insisted Buttercup. "What about a scary face that will make you even scarier to those you chase? You will be known as 'cheetah with scary nail.'"

 "You think it will make me scary?" asked Speedy.

 "Oh definitely," assured Buttercup.

 Speedy stuck out his middle finger and Buttercup went to work. It really was a work of art when it was finished, and it did do just as Buttercup had suggested. Speedy was called "cheetah with scary nail" and as the animals talked about it, they got more scared.

 Speedy walked proudly through the forest and every week, he went back to Buttercup and she renewed the image.

 Question about the story: What were the two names of nail polish that Buttercup had?

 Send answers to Storytime, c/o Verna Dunlop, RR#1 Moser River, NS BOJ 2KO, or e-mail the answer to vernadunlop@yahoo.com.

posted on 01/06/09