GIANT FRIENDS. A restless Bird
The Chapter 6
Relieving the anxiety for Zenix settled Shoebill overnight, but the next morning restlessness overtook him. He was not in the kitchen when Zenix came down to breakfast.
Zenix felt quite lost and called out, “Where are you, Shoebill?” Not getting an answer, he wandered outside. “Shoebill?”
“Oh, sorry Zenix. I’m up here,” he called down from the tallest tree in the grounds.
“Great Scott!!” Zenix was shocked. Shoebill flapped his wings, and landed a little unsteadily on the ground beside Zenix.
“Sorry, Zenix, but it is so long since I did proper flying, I thought I should get more exercise.” He was pink in the face and a little breathless. “Do you know what it feels like to be on top of a tree? It’s so cool up there, and the breeze sways the branches. Oh, I’d forgotten how exhilarating it was.”
Nevertheless, he hurried back into the kitchen, saying, “ Come along and have your breakfast, Zenix.”
Over breakfast, Zenix raised the matter again. “Shoebill, if you are worried about not getting enough exercise, perhaps you should fly down to the woods with me when I go would cuttng. You could explore through the treetops.”
“Oh, I wouldn’t have time for that, Zenix, I have to get to the market, buy food and prepare lunch. Still, I’d consider flying down with you and going on to do my shopping.”
After Shoebill left Zenix that morning at the forest, he didn’t go directly to the market, but flew instead down to the green-edged lagoon where many birds had gathered to drink fresh water after the storm. The babble of calls was almost deafening, but they were mostly strangers to Shoebill. It wasn’t long before his attention was distracted by an odd looking animal on the lagoon’s edge who looked very meek and shy and was keeping to himself.
This stranger looked so forlorn, that Shoebill was persuaded to approach him. “Are you okay, young stranger?” he asked.
“Oh, I’m lost. When the storm struck I was carried up so high by an updraft of air, and when I came down I found myself here, near this lagoon. I was pleased to feel solid ground under my feet again, but I don’t know where I am and I want to go home.”
“Well, this is a terrible dilemma for you and we can’t let it go on. Now, what is your name?”
“I’m Victor the aardvark, and I can’t see any of my family here. Have you seen my mum and dad?”
“It’s just possible you’ve been blown here from planet Earth. This is Senecia. But I’m sure you’d be happy here. Fact is, young Victor, there’s really no way home again. You must come home with me and meet Zenix. We will look after you. By the way, what do aardvarks eat?”
“Ants.”
“Ants! Oh, you can’t live on ants. You poor thing. No, that won’t do at all.”
“Oh, I love ants. That’s all we aardvark’s eat. I must have my ants. Actually, the ants around here are huge. I’ve had trouble getting them down my throat!”
Everything around here is huge, I guess you’d noticed, because in Senecia the air is so sweet and healthy and everything is so fresh and nutritious, that everybody grows twice as big. It’s a land of giants.”
“Oh, I’m so frightened. Please just leave me here. I don’t want to meet any more giants. But will you come back and see me? And talk to me?”
“Of course I will. I’ll be back tomorrow.”
Shoebill hurried through the shopping and at dinner that evening he and Zenix discussed the problem of Victor the aardvark.
The next morning they both arrived at the Lagoon straight after breakfast. Zenix sat down on the ground beside Victor and shook his hand, though he had some trouble finding it to shake.
Victor had been just settling down to sleep, and he scrambled up getting a terrible fright. “Relax, Victor,” Shoebill said, “We are your friends. We’re here to help you.”
“I can’t help admiring your fine long ears, Victor,” Zenix commented by way of encouragement. “And your strong tail, something like a kangaroo’s tail I should think.”
Victor was surprised and pleased. “Oh, do you really think so? Most creatures laugh at me.”
“No no,” Zenix told him. “No one here will laugh at you. Everybody is different, Victor. Everybody is different to somebody. This is a very tolerant society. We practise tolerance all the time. Why don’t you come and live with Shoebill and me for a time? Do you think you could live without your mum and dad?”
“Well, I think so; I was just about to leave home anyway. So I guess this could be my new home if it all worked out. But I don’t want to be in your way. And you are both so much taller than me.”
“It’s just possible, my friend, that you will grow twice as big living here,” Shoebill put in.
“I’ll stay then!” Victor decided happily.
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