WILD ANIMALS OF AFRICA

THERE lived in Lower Forest a near relative of Grivet the Monkey by the name of Black and White the Colobus Monkey. It would seem that someone could think of a more interesting name than Black and White; but until they do, suppose we call him BW the Monkey, for short.

Of course BW the Monkey got his name from his color. When he was a baby he was entirely white; but after he was grown, his long, silky hair was mostly black, with long manes of white along each side of his body. His tail was long, and a foot or more of it next to his body was covered with short black hair, and there was a beautiful white, bushy plume that covered almost as much more of the end of his tail. His white beard gave him a serious and dignified expression.

Now BW the Monkey was a near relative of Grivet the Monkey, but he belonged to a different group known as the guereza monkeys. He had no cheek pouches as Grivet the Monkey had, but his stomach was divided into pouches. And because he had no thumbs, or almost none, he was often called "the thumbless monkey."

When BW the Colobus Monkey was first born, he was tiny and helpless. His Loving Mother had to carry him in her arms until he was old enough to cling to the long hair on her back. Of course she could not spring so far from tree to tree while she was holding BW with one arm. And she could not cling by her tail. In fact, no African monkey could do that.

So, if the trees were too far apart, she would jump to the ground and hurry as best she could to the next one. You see, the guereza monkeys could not walk well, so they seldom came down to the ground. They lived in the tops of gigantic trees, and they especially liked those that were draped with beardlike moss that from a distance resembled the monkey's long hair. It was difficult sometimes to tell which was monkey and which was moss.

It was small wonder that BW the Monkey with his friends lived in the high treetops and hid among the hairy moss and leaves, for they had many Lurking Enemies. There was Chui the Leopard, who would pounce on him if he came to the ground, and Chui would even climb trees after him. There were large snakes that would have been delighted to crush the life out of BW and then swallow him whole. When he was in the tall cedar trees BW had to keep a sharp lookout for Battler the Eagle. As if that were not enough Lurking Enemies for BW the Monkey to worry about, there was Black Hunter.

You see, monkey meat was Black Hunter's Favorite Food. And Black Hunter liked to make his war bonnet and cape out of the beautiful black and white coat that BW's friends wore. So it happened one day that when a certain Young Native had grown old enough to become a warrior, he went stalking for monkeys in Lower Forest. He had decided that he must have a headdress and cape of monkey skins. So he had set out in search of BW the Monkey and his troop.

Now one would think that with so many Lurking Enemies waiting to snatch, squeeze, shoot, or pounce upon him, BW the Monkey would have been quiet as he went from tree to tree through the Dense Jungle. But he was not at all cautious. It seemed that he simply must chatter and shriek and shout most of the time while he and his restless friends were on the move. Of course the noise was a complete giveaway of their location.

So it was that one day while BW the Monkey and his noisy friends were moving through the tall trees, as they did much of the time, picking off leaves with their thumbless hands and eating them greedily, the Young Native was silently following a winding trail into Lower Forest, stopping now and then to listen.

At last there came to his ears through the tall trees a strange sound. At first it was only a soft hum or buzz, but it grew louder and louder until it became a mighty chorus. Then it died away, only to swell again into a loud uproar that echoed through Lower Forest.

The Young Native turned and picked his way cautiously through the tangle of trees and creepers toward the place from which the sound came. For he had heard the cries of BW the Monkey and his friends many times before when he was scouting through Lower Forest with Black Hunter.

At last the Young Native came within sight of a large tree. Its top was broken off and its hollow inside was filled with water. There were BW the Monkey and his friends getting a refreshing drink. You see, when BW the Monkey became thirsty, he looked for a hollow water tree, for he was afraid to come down to the ground for a drink. He knew all the hollow water trees for a great distance in every direction. There he was enjoying a refreshing drink, while he shouted and bellowed as though he had not a Lurking Enemy in the world to fear.

Silently the Young Native crept nearer. It was the chance he had hoped to find. From his quiver he drew an arrow. Its tip was smeared with poison, protected by a covering of thin leather. He removed the leather covering and fitted the arrow to his bow. Then he waited for BW the Monkey to show himself through an opening in the leafy branches.

Suddenly the head of a large bird about the size of Ringneck the Pheasant peeked around the side of a tree, and his sharp eyes spied the Young Native crouched near by. It was the head of Touraco the Plantain Eater, who is a distant relative of the cuckoos.

You see, Touraco and his friends liked to play Hide-and-Seek. So he and Mrs. Touraco and two or three more had been chasing each other from branch to branch, dodging behind trees as woodpeckers do, shrieking and shouting and boohooing all the while. They were having a wonderful time until Touraco spied the Young Native.

"Danger, danger! „ shouted Touraco. I see a Lurking Enemy! Danger! Danger! " and he hastily dodged behind the tall tree again.

The monkey chorus suddenly stopped as BW the Monkey and his friends vanished among the tall treetops. So there was nothing left for the Young Native to do but cover the tip of his poisoned arrow with the leather sheath and put it back into his quiver.

ARDVARK the Earth Hog had been asleep in his Friendly Burrow for a long time. His Friendly Burrow was deep and wide-spreading, and its door was hidden beneath some thorny bushes. When the dry season came to Broad Plain, Aardvark crawled far back into one of the long tunnels of his Friendly Burrow and went to sleep in his cozy bed. And there he had slept and slept.

One evening Aardvark awakened, crept to the door of his Friendly Burrow, and peeked out. A refreshing shower had come to Broad Plain, and it promised to be the kind of night he liked. Yes, sir; the night would be nice and moist, and Aardvark was very hungry.

"I think I'll go for a walk and see if I can find some white ants for breakfast," said Aardvark to himself. "I certainly would like some termites."

Sometimes he called them "white ants" and sometimes "termites," but he meant the same thing. They lived in large hills which they built themselves, some of them twenty feet high. Kongoni and some of the other Wild Animals used them for lookout posts when they wanted to see far out across Broad Plain.

Aardvark was a strange-looking creature, as he sat beside his Friendly Burrow wondering which way he should go. His nose looked like Rooter the Pig's, his ears were much like Heehaw the Burro's, and his body reminded one of Joey the Kangaroo. His head was the shape of an ant bear's, and his legs were like an armadillo's. Of course, Aardvark is supposed to be related to the ant bears and the armadillos, and we would expect him to be like his cousins in some ways. All of them belong to the family of edentates, that is, toothless animals; but Aardvark really does have some teeth.

Now it happened that Mrs. Wart Hog and her five Little Piglets had been looking for tender grass shoots. They enjoyed roaming on cloudy days.

They lived in a hidden lair in Little Jungle Thicket, but it was not much protection. Mrs. Wart Hog had her eyes open for a better home, and when she saw Aardvark's Friendly Burrow she decided to explore it. Into it she backed, as wart hogs always do, and looked around. It seemed real cozy and she decided to stay.

"Come in and see our new home," she said to the five Little Piglets.

The wart hogs are ugly-looking creatures with wartlike bumps on the sides of their head. They have a strange habit of always backing into their Friendly Burrow no matter how much they are in a hurry. When they leave their Friendly Burrow, they pop out and turn a quick somersault. They are always ready to slash right and left with their sharp tusks if a Lurking Enemy is waiting for them outside.

Aardvark was enjoying the cool moist night. It wasn't long until he spied a large termite hill. He sniffed around it but could not detect a familiar scent. Rip, rip went his powerful claws, and out came a piece of the wall. Aardvark poked his long snout into the hole he had made and snuffed again.

"No, sir," he said; "there are no termites living in this hill. They must have moved away."

So Aardvark went searching for another anthill.

Now Aardvark was not the only one who was looking for white ants that night. Over near Sandy Flat there lived one of Aardvark's cousins by the name of Pangolin. He had been sleeping all day in his den curled up into a large ball. It was a wonder that he could tell when it was time to get up, for he always kept his door plugged with earth when he was inside.

But along about dark, Pangolin opened his door and peeked out. Then he started across Sandy Flat to a place where he knew there were plenty of termite hills. Pangolin looked strange as he pegged along with his front feet bent backward. You see, Pangolin had long claws on his front feet, and it would be bothersome for him to walk with them in the usual way. So he turned them under and walked on the top of his toes. But it did seem awkward at best.

Pangolin had an armor like that of a knight of old. His back, head, and legs were covered with rather large, hard, overlapping pointed scales. He reminded one of a large pine cone.

Sometimes when Pangolin was surprised by a Lurking Enemy, while he was in a tree, he would play a trick. He would sit on the side of the tree by holding on with his hind feet and propping himself with his tail. Then he would fold up his front feet and sit very still. If you didn't look sharply, you would surely think he was an old broken-off limb. If he wanted to get down in a hurry, he would roll into a ball and drop. And his half erect scales would cause him to bounce and not be hurt. Pangolin could not defend himself by biting, because he had such a small mouth and no teeth whatever. But sometimes when a monkey bothered him, Pangolin would contract his scales and pinch Mr. Monkey's fingers or nose.

It didn't take Pangolin long to find a large termite hill and tear a hole in it with his long, strong claws. Then he thrust his long tongue into the hole. His tongue was longer than his head and covered with a sticky substance. When he drew it into his mouth, it held many struggling termites. That was the way Pangolin drank also.

"Yum, yum," said Pangolin to himself, "those plump termites surely do taste good."

In went his long tongue again, for Pangolin did not have to stop to do much chewing. He didn't mind having no teeth.

Suddenly Pangolin heard a noise. He did not have any ear at all on the outside of his head, only a small hole on each side, but he could hear very well. The noise was quite close. It was coming around the large termite hill. He feared it was a Lurking Enemy after him.

"Hiss, hiss," went Pangolin, as he quickly rolled into a ball.

Of course it was only Aardvark looking for his breakfast, too. But it surely did frighten Pangolin, for he did not know who it was.

Now Aardvark is several times larger than Pangolin, and when Pangolin got courage to unroll enough so that he could see, there sat Aardvark helping himself to the termites. Pangolin was glad to know that Aardvark was not a Lurking Enemy. He moved around the large termite hill and made another hole. Aardvark could as well have made a hole for himself, but Pangolin didn't care.

After a while there came across Broad Plain a far-distant sound. Pangolin sat up and listened.

"That is the yapping jackals," he said to himself. "I believe I should be starting for home." Away he went as fast as he could go on his funny turned-back toes.

Aardvark decided perhaps he should leave also, but he was in no hurry along the way. He stopped here and there to rip a hole in a termite hill and draw out a few of its little people with his long sticky tongue. The night was the kind he liked, and when at last he arrived at his Friendly Burrow, the Laughing Yellow Sun was almost ready to nod good morning over Green Mountain.

Aardvark sniffed at his doorway. There was a strange odor coming from inside. It was a strong odor, and it didn't take Aardvark long to guess who was inside.

"Those wart hogs have stolen my home again," he said. But he didn't seem to mind it.

Aardvark explored around a bit until he found a new location that suited him, and started right to work. My, how the clods flew between his hind legs while his short, strong front legs worked! In a minute he was out of sight, and in a few more minutes he was all ready to curl up in a new cozy bed for a good sleep. It wasn't much of a job for Aardvark to make a new home.

MRS. GROUND SQUIRREL lived in a tunnel burrow with Mr. Ground Squirrel. One day she went inside with a mouthful of grass to add to their soft bed. When she came out, Mr. Ground Squirrel was nowhere to be seen. Although she called and called, and waited until dark, Mr. Ground Squirrel never came home. Perhaps Battler the Eagle could have told why.

Of course Mrs. Ground Squirrel did not want to live there longer. She feared there was a Lurking Enemy around. So she went to search for a new home. At last she came to a large termite hill. There was a hole torn in one side of it where Aardvark had been looking for a meal. Mrs. Ground Squirrel peeked in. The termite hill seemed to be deserted. And so she hopped inside to look around. Yes, it was empty. And so Mrs. Ground Squirrel explored the inside.

The termite hill was quite large, and there were many chambers in it. It seemed dry and comfortable inside. Mrs. Ground Squirrel chose an apartment that suited her and, after cleaning it out, soon had a nest built of fine dried grass.

Mrs. Ground Squirrel did not know it, but she was to have a near neighbor. No sooner had she finished her soft nest than into the termite hill moved Herpestes the Mongoose.

Herpestes the Mongoose was about the size of Hunting Cat, but his body was more slender. His tail was thick near his body, and it was covered with long hair, which he could make bushy as Hunting Cat does when he is angry. Herpestes could climb trees, but he preferred to stay on the ground. He liked company, and he often went hunting on Broad Plain and in Big Jungle Thicket with a number of his friends.

Herpestes was a bold and active hunter. He delighted in chasing mice and rats, and he would fearlessly attack the most poisonous snakes. Sometimes he was bitten, but he had a tough, thick skin, and the poison did not seem to make him sick.

Fearful the Man knew that the mongooses were good hunters. So he decided that they would be useful if they were taken to other countries where there were many troublesome pests bothering him. He thought the mongooses would kill the rats and the mice and the poisonous snakes.

But when the mongooses were turned loose in some of these places, they soon became a troublesome pest themselves. They killed the chickens of Fearful the Man, and hunted game birds, and destroyed many harmless creatures. Then Fearful the Man wished that he had left them in Africa. But in Africa they raid the natives' honey buckets and steal their honey.

Now it seems strange that the mongooses and the ground squirrels could live together, but they often do. They must have some sort of secret understanding. So Mrs. Ground Squirrel did not mind when Herpestes moved into the deserted termite hill with her as long as he stayed away from her private apartment. He had an amusing habit of popping in and out of his doorway as if he were playing a game. But as long as he used his own doorway, that did not bother Mrs. Ground Squirrel.

One day while Herpestes was away hunting, Mrs. Ground Squirrel came out of her private apartment, as she did every day, and sat in the warm sunshine beside the termite hill. She now had four Weeny Little Babies, and she did not go far searching for Favorite Food.

Mrs. Ground Squirrel thought she heard a rustle in the dry grass a short distance away. She sat up and listened intently with her funny little ears. They looked as if they had been mostly chopped off. She wondered if perhaps it was only the Playful Air Whiffs playing among the grass. But, no, that could not be, for the next time she heard it, it was much nearer. Suddenly Mrs. Ground Squirrel squeaked with terror, for she was looking straight into the beady eyes of Puffer the Adder.

Of all the Lurking Enemies on Broad Plain and Sandy Flat, Puffer the Adder was dreaded by more of the Wild Creatures than almost any other. He would lie half covered in the sand, with his head sticking out, waiting for some creature to pass close by. Then he would strike without warning and his venom was exceedingly poisonous. It was so poisonous that the Black Hunters, after mixing it with the juice of a plant to make it stick, painted the tips of their arrows with it when they went hunting.

Mrs. Ground Squirrel seemed powerless to escape. She felt as if she dared not look away from those beady eyes for one instant. She tried to run, but only jumped up and down as if she were tied. She made strange noises such as she had never made before. It was as if she had suddenly lost her senses. Instead of running away, she actually hopped closer to Puffer the Adder as if she were drawn by some unseen power. She was almost within striking distance of Puffer, and then a fortunate thing happened. That is, it was fortunate for Mrs. Ground Squirrel. She could hardly realize what had happened. Suddenly the spell seemed to be broken, and she saw Herpestes the Mongoose standing close by. The long hairs on his back and tail were sticking out so that he looked twice as large as he really was.

Herpestes the Mongoose stood and eyed Puffer the Adder for a moment, while Puffer drew in a deep breath until his body bulged out like a balloon. Puffer breathed out the air in a long threatening hiss, but that did not frighten Herpestes.

Herpestes quieted. The hairs on his back and tail became smooth. He ran and grabbed Puffer in the middle of his body. Puffer struck Herpestes in the face two or three times, but Herpestes did not seem to care. His sharp teeth bit right through Puffer's spine, and then Herpestes started in to devour him. He did not stop until every last bit of Puffer was eaten, even his head and poison fangs.

You may be sure that Mrs. Ground Squirrel did not wait to see the finish. She was glad to hurry away to her four Weeny Little Babies.

I wonder if that was why Mrs. Ground Squirrel liked to have Herpestes for a neighbor. Perhaps she knew that Herpestes would protect her if Puffer the Adder came near. Do you suppose that Herpestes knew that if he lived near Mrs. Ground Squirrel, Puffer the Adder would be likely to come there looking for the Weeny Little Squirrels and then he could catch him?

MRS. OSTRICH was making a nest. It really was not much work. All she did was sit down on the sandy ground among the tall grass that grew on Sandy Flat and turn round and round, scraping here and there with her queer two-toed feet. Mr. Ostrich was enjoying himself and showing off. He would spread his little white wings and strut and dance as if he thought himself quite beautiful.

In case you might think that Mr. Ostrich thought of nothing but play, I will say: Don't judge him too soon, for he really was a dutiful husband, as you shall see.

The ostriches had many friends among the Wild Animals. They often visited with the zebras and the gazelles and the wildebeests and the hartebeests. But they also had many Lurking Enemies. Their special enemy was Leo the Lion, but when they were fully grown, they were too smart to be caught by Leo the Lion or Chui the Leopard. They could run faster than the swiftest antelope. Often, when danger was near, they hid behind a bush, with only their head showing. It was not often that anything escaped their keen eyes.

When Mrs. Ostrich had finished her nest, she left a large pale yellowish egg in it. Then she went to look for Favorite Food. The ostriches were never in one place long during the day. They had strange appetites. In fact, they ate almost anything they could swallow, including small stones, bones, and sand. That was to help them digest the snakes and lizards and insects and grass and berries and seeds and other things which they ate. They also liked the bean pods that grew on the thorn trees.

The next time when Mrs. Ostrich came to the Sandy Nest to leave another egg, there were two eggs in it. If she noticed the extra egg, she did nothing about it. The truth was, there were other Mrs. Ostriches, and one of them had decided to use the first Mrs. Ostrich's nest. So after a while the nest was full of large eggs, and some were lying around the outside.

Sometimes when the days were hot, the eggs were left covered with sand. But if it were cool, Mr. Ostrich sat on them to keep them warm. Yes, Mr. Ostrich was very dutiful. Sometimes during the day Mrs. Ostrich would sit on the eggs for a time while Mr. Ostrich looked for something to eat. But almost always Mr. Ostrich sat on them all night, and there was a good reason.

You see, there were prowling about on Sandy Flat and Broad Plain many yapping jackals. During the day they wandered around alone, or in pairs, to see what mischief they could get into. But at night they would gather in packs and eat what Leo the Lion left if the cowardly hyenas did not get there first. Sometimes they would not wait until Leo had finished his meal, but would try to rob him before his very eyes. Not a few of them paid for their boldness with their lives, for Leo would devour them if he had not enough other Favorite Food.

Now, there lived in a cozy den in Little Jungle Thicket near Sandy Flat two of the yapping jackals. They left their Cozy Den one day to prowl along the banks of Winding Ravine where they knew many hares and mice and jerboas and other Wild Creatures lived. The Jackals had five half-grown hungry babies in the Cozy Den to feed, and it kept them busy looking for Favorite Food to carry home.

After a while Yapper the Jackal decided he would see if he could find a young ostrich. He really was fond of plump young ostriches, and he liked ostrich eggs fully as well. So he started out across Sandy Flat with his large ears scarcely showing above the tall grass.

Suddenly he stopped and sniffed. Yapper thought he smelled ostrich. Near by was a large herd of zebras cropping mouthfuls of grass, while their tails busily switched at biting flies.

The Playful Air Whiffs danced past Yapper's nose again. Sniff, sniff. Yes, that certainly was ostrich, and not far away.

Yapper found a high mound where he could look across Sandy Flat. He saw the zebras lazily feeding near by, and right in the midst of the herd were some ostriches.

"Ah ha," said Yapper. "I wonder if there are any young ones." Away he went through the tall grass, sniffing the breezes as he went.

Mr. Ostrich had just returned and taken his place on the nest. He was lying there amid the tall grass with his long neck stretched out flat on the ground as usual so that he would not be seen. It surely was a surprise to Yapper when he almost ran right over Mr. Ostrich. Mr. Ostrich was also surprised. He stood up and started to run away. Then he saw it was only Yapper the Jackal, and he came back.

Yapper stood looking at the eggs. They were tempting. He wondered what Mr. Ostrich would do if he grabbed one. You see, Yapper was not experienced. It was the first year he had a family of his own for whom to hunt. He decided to make a quick grab and run.

But Mr. Ostrich was not to be taken by surprise. He was a wise old bird, and not easily bluffed. Suddenly one of his long powerful legs shot out just as Yapper almost reached an egg. Now the ostriches have most unusual feet. There are only two toes on each foot, with strong nails, and the bottom has a rather soft pad. But it didn't feel soft to Yapper. No, indeed! Yapper was kicked end over end, and almost all the breath was knocked out of him. He was glad to slink away in the grass as soon as he got his breath back.