The village of Ndumbinyi was located along River Mwalashi.

The river's water danced in the sun. Its banks were full of papyrus reeds, dragonflies, and the songs of birds.

Malemba loved the river more than anything else.

One hot afternoon, Malemba noticed something was wrong.

The water was not as clear as before. The fish she used to see were gone. The papyrus plants were turning brown.

"Why is the river sad?" she wondered.

As Malemba sat on her favorite rock, a small brown hare hopped up beside her.

"You can hear me, right?" the hare asked, twitching his long ears. Malemba gasped. "Can you talk?"

"Yes. My name is Kito, and the river needs your help," the hare said.

Kito explained that people were throwing rubbish into the water. They were cutting down the trees along the banks, and taking too much water for farms.

"When the trees are gone, the soil falls into the river. The fish lose their home. The birds have nowhere to nest," Kito said sadly.

Kito took Malemba on a magical journey along the river.

They saw kingfishers diving for fish, frogs singing on lily pads, and elephants drinking at the riverbank.

"These animals depend on the river, just like people do," Kito whispered.

When Malemba returned to the village, she told her grandfather, Babu Mwaghesha, everything she had learned.

Babu smiled. "If the river is sick, the whole village will feel it. We must take care of it."

Malemba had an idea. A River Day!

On River Day, children and elders came together. They cleaned the riverbanks, picked up rubbish, and planted new trees along the water's edge.

The women sang as they worked, and the men made fences to protect the young plants.

Weeks later, the water began to sparkle again. Fish returned to the shallows. Birds built nests in the new trees.

Kito came by one afternoon and grinned. "The river is happy again!"

As Malemba sat by the water, a gentle breeze brushed her cheek. It was the River Mwalashi's voice, soft and warm, saying, "Thank you, little one. You have saved my song."

Malemba smiled. She knew she would always protect the river because without it, life would lose its music.