It was a warm, sunny morning at Pets on the Green.

The best kind of morning for a game.

Betty the bearded dragon loved sunny mornings.

She found the warmest, flattest rock and wriggled with joy.

"Betty! Let's play the Sun-Spot Game!"

Her friend Fiona the blue-tongue skink had arrived.

The Sun-Spot Game was their favourite.

You hopped from one warm spot to the next — without touching the cold shade!

"Ready, steady… GO!"

And they were off, hopping and laughing in the sunshine.

They were having so much fun that they didn't notice someone watching.

It was Leo the leopard gecko.

Leo was big — much bigger than the others — but gentle and kind. And he was new.

Leo didn't know many friends yet.

He watched the game and wished, more than anything, that he could join in.

Leo took a deep breath and walked over.

"Hello. That looks fun. Please… can I play too?"

"No,"

said Fiona quickly. "We started first. Two is enough."

And she carried on hopping.

Leo stood very still.

"Oh. That's okay,"

he said quietly. But it wasn't okay. Not really.

Leo walked slowly back to the edge of the garden.

He sat down all by himself and looked at his feet.

He felt small.

Which is a funny thing for such a big lizard to feel.

"Maybe there's something wrong with me," Leo thought.

"Maybe nobody wants to play with me." And a heavy, sad feeling sat right in his tummy.

Back on the rocks, Fiona was still giggling.

But Betty had stopped.

Betty had seen Leo's face.

She had seen his smile fall, and the slow, sad way he walked away.

And it gave Betty an uncomfortable feeling.

A wobbly, not-quite-right feeling, deep down inside.

Because Betty remembered.

She remembered her first day, when she was new, and nobody asked her to play.

It felt like being left out in the cold.

Even on the sunniest day.

"Fiona,"

said Betty, stopping the game. "I don't think we were very kind just then."

"What do you mean? I wasn't being mean. I was just… playing."

"I know you didn't mean to,"

said Betty gently. "But look at Leo. We said no — and now he's all alone, and he feels sad."

Fiona looked over at Leo, sitting by himself with his head down.

And the giggly feeling drained right out of her.

"Oh. I didn't think about how he might feel,"

said Fiona quietly. "I was just busy with the game."

"Leaving someone out can hurt them,"

said Betty, "even when we don't mean it to. But the good news is — we can fix it!"

So together, Betty and Fiona walked over to Leo.

"Leo, I'm really sorry I said no. That wasn't kind or fair.

Would you like to play with us? The game is much better with three!"

Leo looked up.

Slowly, a big, warm smile spread across his face.

"Really? I'd love to!"

And do you know what?

With his long legs, Leo could leap the biggest gaps of all. He was brilliant at the game!

The three friends played all morning, laughing in the sun.

And the game was more fun than ever — because everyone was included.

That day, Fiona learned something important.

Saying "you can't play" can make someone feel very sad and alone. Including someone is one of the kindest things you can do.

And Leo learned something too.

There was nothing wrong with him at all. He just needed one friend to be kind first.