Once upon a time, there was a little kitten named Minou. He lived in a lovely house with blue shutters, near a garden full of flowers.
Minou was kind and playful, but he had a funny habit: he didn’t like saying hello.
Every morning, the animals in the neighborhood greeted him.
“Good morning, Minou!” said the hen.
“Hello!” added the dog.
But Minou simply walked by without answering.
“Why doesn’t he ever say hello?” his neighbors wondered.
One day, Minou went into the garden to play with his favorite ball.
He ran, jumped, and laughed when a gust of wind blew his ball behind a hedge.
“Oh no! My ball!” he cried.
He searched everywhere but couldn’t find it.
Near the vegetable garden, he saw the hen.
The hen had seen the ball roll under a bush.
She hesitated for a moment.
Then she smiled.
“Minou, your ball is over there, under the big bush.”
“Thank you very much!” replied the kitten.
A little later, his ball rolled away again, this time near the pond.
The dog helped him retrieve it.
“Thank you!” said Minou once again.
That evening, as he walked home, he thought about his day.
All the animals had been kind to him.
Yet he had never taken the time to greet them.
The next morning, Minou stepped outside.
The hen was walking near the fence.
Minou took a deep breath.
“Good morning, Mrs. Hen!”
The hen opened her eyes wide.
“Good morning, Minou!”
A little farther along, he met the dog.
“Hello!”
“Hello!” replied the dog with a big smile.
Throughout the day, Minou greeted every animal he met.
And something wonderful happened.
Everyone smiled at him even more.
Their conversations became happier.
Their games became even more fun.
That evening, Minou realized that a single word can make a day brighter.
From that day on, he never forgot to say hello.
And every morning began with smiles, happiness, and lots of friendship.