by J. M. Walker
“I can easily take a dog,” said the jaguar.
“There’s a lot of them,” said the leopard.
“Then we shall scare them off. We shall mark the edge of these woods with our scent. They won’t know how many cats are living wild in here. And if it comes to a fight...”
“Then we will protect you,” said the leopard to the foxes, finishing her words. “You might not see us, but we will be here, sitting on a branch in a tree, or in the grass, protecting you.”
“There is a natural order that cannot be helped,” agreed Bear to them all. “And not all animals can get along. But we can restrain ourselves, respect each other. We can do what the humans cannot, and only take what is necessary.”
“What would you like to do Doris?” chirped Bessie. “What would you like to do?”
“I think I would like to swim back to India, to my family,” said Doris. “I can’t forget my cousins and I’d like to see them again. But I don’t think that will be possible. So I would like to live here with the cows.”
“We can show you the best browse,” said the bull.
“And I can excavate a watering hole near the fort,” said Doris, pleased with herself.
“And you Bessie? What would you like to do?” asked Bear.
“I will fly,” was all she said, feeling no need to repeat herself.
“What will you do Bear?” Doris asked.
“First, I don’t think I want to be called Bear any more. There is no need,” he said. “As for what I will do? I don’t know. I would like to taste some honey. But there is one thing I will do no more. I will no longer run.”
All the animals burst into laughter.
One by one they set off deeper into the woods. None thought to ask Edward the monkey how he might like to live. But it didn’t matter. The wild man of the circus took it upon himself to count up all the fruit trees in the forest. He’d evaluate the size of their yearly crop and make plans for which to harvest and when. He’d sit down with Bear and help him do the same for all the ant nests and termite mounds in the forest, thinking that on special days they might forage for grubs together.
And when the days were quiet and there were no jobs to do, the little pin monkey decided he might teach himself how to write.
He already knew what he would write about. He would jot down the story of the circus animals that everyone thought were stupid, who couldn’t think for themselves.
He’d recite their adventure and how they escaped the humans that kept them captive.
How, like all animals, they were cleverer than humans thought.
How they could feel and think, scheme and plan.
He would tell the story of how animals had hopes and dreams and of how a few had won and deserved their freedom.
Also by
MJ Walker
A Blue Monkey
As a young boy visiting the Bronx Zoo, Robert Alexander glimpses a very special monkey; a blue monkey sitting in the shadows of a cage, a blue monkey that appears to cry a tear.
So begins a lifetime quest to rediscover this most enigmatic creature, a primate of such unusual disposition, an animal whose very existence is unproven.
As a mystery turns into an adventure, then evolves into an odyssey, Robert is drawn ever deeper into the exotic hearts of Africa and South America.
A fertile, luscious novel of elegant, captivating prose, A Blue Monkey challenges the very nature of faith and belief.
It is a story full of life’s riches, a novel that builds into a beautiful exploration of the natural world and human psyche.
www.nobella.co.uk
Also by
MJ Walker
The Cloud Seekers
Out of a world where nothing is known, emerges a story where everything is at stake.
Sometime around his sixteenth birthday, a Young man is called to a special occasion. Two Oldie people are to give him something precious; a name, the only name he has ever had. From now on, he will be known as Serge. But Serge is desperate to learn more; about who he is, where he came from? And what happened to the Others?
So begins The Cloud Seekers, a youthful adventure story of innocence and discovery that belies its immense significance.
As Serge begins to piece together the wires, Screens and Terminals broken and scattered around Town, he starts to uncover the truth about the world he lives in, a world only he can put back together.
A world that may yet become our own.
Told with a disarming lightness and energy, The Cloud Seekers is an enthralling, simple tale, full of hidden depth and meaning that makes us think long after the final words are finished. It is truly unique, a futuristic novel that is utterly of the moment.
www.nobella.co.uk
