Lizzy the Lion Cub, written by Karen Lewis and illustrated by Kelly Dorman.

Ever since she could remember, Lizzy the Lion Cub wanted a mane. Not just any old mane, but a nice thick dark one that would sit on her head like a crown.

"But you can't have a mane," said her mother. "You're a girl. Only boys have manes."

Lizzy thought this very unfair. And she moped around the den for a while wondering what she could do about it? Then she had an idea. She would go and see Osmund, the wise old Ostrich.

"All my brothers have nice long manes," she complained to Osmund. "And I'm as bald as an egg."

Osmund put on his spectacles, and peered for a long time at Lizzy's head. Then he gave her a bottle of hair tonic, and told her to rub it on three times a day.

But it didn't work. Even although Lizzy poured so much of it on that it dripped into her ears. There wasn't as much as a tuft of hair on her whole head.
"I think it's making you balder," teased her brothers. And they laughed at her as they combed their manes.
Lizzy was disappointed and angry. "I want my money back," she told Osmund. "That nasty old stuff you gave me didn't work."
Osmund leaned back in his chair - which was a very high one, for he was so tall - and stayed deep in thought. "Okay," he said at last. "I have another idea."

And so it was that Lizzy returned home with a head full of ostrich feathers. She felt very proud of herself for now she had a mane - at least of sorts - and she strutted a bit as she walked.

"You look ridiculous," laughed her brothers. "Take off the bird hat before our friends see it." And they followed her around the den trying to grab at the feathers.

"Leave her alone," said their mother, and chased them outside.

But despite all the teasing Lizzy continued to wear the feathers. She spent a lot of time studying her reflection in a pool, and had decided that although they were not as nice as a real mane, they were better than being bald. She did, however, find them annoying at times.

The feather mane made her head hotter in summer, and sometimes it got into her eyes and she couldn't see properly. It also took a lot of time to brush and comb and get the knots out.

One day, Lizzy and her brothers were playing on the riverbank. It had been raining and they got very muddy. "We'll have the devil of a time getting this muck out of our manes," said her brothers, as they jumped into the river for a bath.
And while they were still bathing, and helping each other clean up their manes, Lizzy pulled off her own feather mane - which was coated with mud - and threw it away. Then she quickly swam ashore and beat everyone home for tea.
Lizzy felt freer and lighter without the mane and there was never any difficulty seeing. She didn't miss the time spent grooming it either.
"You look lovely without it," said her mother, and Lizzy, peering at her reflection, very happily agreed.
                                                         THE END