“See!” Annie shook her fist at the vulture. “I’m fine! Now beat it!”
But the giant, ugly bird still circled.
“Come on. Let’s get away from him,” said Jack. He pushed his glasses into place.
“Rats,” he said. Now his glasses were muddy.
He tried to clean his hands in the grass.
“Oh, no!” shouted Annie.
Jack turned to her.
“The wildebeests will get stuck in the mudhole!” she cried. She waved her arms at the wildebeests struggling to swim across the river.
“Not here,” she shouted. “Not here!”
But the frantic swimmers kept coming.
“Oh, no! No! No!” shouted Annie.
She raced down the bank, until she reached a sandy, clear spot.
“Here! Here!” she called.
The wildebeests followed her with their wild eyes.
Jack watched in disbelief as the swimmers changed their course. Slowly, all the wildebeests swam to where Annie stood. She waved them in like a traffic policeman.
Jack grabbed his backpack.
“Annie,” he cried, “let’s go before we get trampled!”
“Keep it up,” she shouted to the wildebeests as she took off after Jack.
They ran farther up the river, away from the incoming wildebeests. Finally, they stopped to catch their breath. They looked back.
Everything seemed fine. The wildebeests were scrambling safely over the riverbank. Soon they would graze on the grass prepared by the zebras.
“Good work,” Jack said to Annie.
“Thanks,” she said. “Okay, now for our riddle … ”
“No, first we’ve got to get clean,” said Jack. “You look like you’re in a mud suit.”
High-pitched laughter rang through the air. It sounded mocking and mean.
Jack and Annie turned around. They saw two spotted brown animals standing in the tall grass.
The creatures had bodies like dogs, but with sloping backs. They laughed again.
“Ha-ha,” said Annie. “You don’t look so great yourself.”
“What are they?” said Jack. He took out the book. He tried not to get mud on it as he looked for a picture. When he found it, he read aloud:
On the African plains, the hyena (hi-EE-nuh) is the ruling predator after the lion. It makes a sound similar to a high-pitched human laugh.
“What’s ‘predator’ mean?” said Annie.
“It means it catches things and eats them,” said Jack.
“Oh,” said Annie. “Yuck.”
The two hyenas laughed again. And they moved closer to Jack and Annie.
Quietly, Jack read more:
The hyena has a reputation for being a thief and a coward.
“Let’s see if they’re cowards,” whispered Annie. “Let’s try to scare them.”
The hyenas laughed and moved a little closer.
“How?” Jack asked.
“Act like a monster!” said Annie. “Now!”
Jack and Annie made terrible monster faces. They put out their hands and rushed at the hyenas.
“ARGGGGHH!” they shouted.
The hyenas yelped and scurried off.
“Scaredy-cats!” Annie shouted after them.
“Come on,” said Jack.
Annie and Jack took off in the other direction. They ran around a bend in the river.
Jack heard the hyena laughter again. It sounded far away.
“Good,” he said, “they’re gone.”
“Hey, maybe we can wash over there,” said Annie.
She pointed to the edge of the forest. There was a small pond surrounded by tall grass. Zebras were drinking the water.
“Yeah,” said Jack. “If it’s safe enough for them to drink … ”
The zebras ignored them as they walked toward the pond.
When they reached the edge of the water, Jack set his heavy pack down in the dry grass. He glanced around. No lions were in sight. But then he heard something.
On the far side of the pond, something very big was coming out of the trees.
“Be still,” said Jack.
Jack and Annie stood frozen as an elephant stepped out of the shadows. It waded into the pond and dipped its trunk into the water.
“Oh, wow,” said Annie.
Jack breathed a sigh of relief. An elephant wasn’t going to chase them and eat them. Still, the elephant was huge.
“Let’s sneak away,” said Jack.
“But I want to watch,” said Annie.
“Fine,” said Jack. He was tired of Annie getting sidetracked. “I’m going to solve the riddle by myself. I’ll meet you back at the tree house.”
He turned to go. A spray of water rained down on him. It came from behind. He shouted with surprise and looked back.
The elephant’s trunk was pointed straight at Annie.
“Cool!” she cried. “He’s giving me a shower!”
The elephant sprayed her again … then again. The mud slowly rolled off her face, her braids, her T-shirt, her shorts, her legs, and her sneakers
“I guess the elephant doesn’t like dirty kids!” said Annie, laughing. Her eyes were squeezed shut.
Finally, she was clean and soaking wet.
“Now it’s your turn,” she said to Jack.
Jack stepped forward and shut his eyes tight. A blast of water hit him. It did feel like a shower—a strong shower.
When Jack was clean, the elephant let out a grunt. Then he started to splash himself with water.
“Thanks!” said Annie.
“Yeah, thanks!” said Jack.
“I’m spick-and-span now,” said Annie. “When the sun dries me off, I’ll be like new.”
“Good,” said Jack. “Now we can get serious.”
He picked up his heavy pack. “We have to figure out the answer to the riddle. So we can leave this place … before we run into real trouble.”
He looked around nervously. Where are the lions? he wondered.
A small bird flitted near his head.
“Hi,” Annie said to the bird.
Jack turned back to her. “According to the riddle, we’re looking for something gold and sweet.”
“What do you want?” Annie asked the bird.
The bird twittered and flew around Jack and Annie. Its feathers were dull gray. But it had a bright, happy manner.
“Annie, listen to me, not the bird,” said Jack.
The bird kept fluttering around them.
“She’s trying to tell us something,” said Annie.
Jack let out a long sigh. “You are driving me crazy today,” he said.
“But I feel like she needs our help,” said Annie. “Maybe her babies fell out of the nest.”
“Annie, you can’t save every animal in Africa,” said Jack.
“This bird is important,” said Annie. “Trust me.”
The bird darted toward the trees. It landed on a branch and cocked its head at them.
“She says follow,” said Annie.
The bird headed into the forest. Annie started after it.
“Don’t go in there!” said Jack. “You might run into—”
There was no need to finish. The bird and Annie had disappeared into the trees.
“—a snake or a lion,” Jack said to himself.
“Come on!” Annie called.
Jack moaned. He pulled on his pack and ran. The peanut butter jar thumped against his back.
The forest was cooler than the sunny plains. It was filled with shadows and bird calls.
“Where are you?” Jack shouted.
“Here!” said Annie.
He found her in a thick glade.
Bright rays streamed between the trees. Green leaves and vines swayed in the dappled light.
The little gray bird sat in a tree, twittering at them.
“Yuck, what’s that?” said Annie. She pointed at a round brown thing hanging from a low branch. Bees buzzed around it.
“That’s not a nest,” said Jack. “It’s a beehive. Don’t you see the bees?”
“Yikes,” said Annie. She stepped back from the tree.
But the little bird darted at the beehive and pecked at it.
“What’s she doing?” said Annie.
The bird kept pecking at the hive.
“I don’t know. Maybe she’s as nuts as you,” said Jack.
“Look her up in the book,” said Annie. “See if it says she’s nuts.”
“Are you kidding?” said Jack. “That nutty bird isn’t going to be in this book.”
“Just look.”
Jack opened his Africa book. He kept turning the pages. Just as he thought—there was no gray bird in the book.
“Forget it,” he said.
“Keep looking,” said Annie.
Jack turned one more page. And there it was: a little gray bird, a beehive, and a tall, painted warrior with a spear.
“I don’t believe this,” said Jack.
Then he read aloud:
This bird is called a honey guide. It’s both a friend and a helper to the Masai (muh-SI) people, an African tribe known for their fierce fighting skills and bravery.
“Hi, honey guide,” Annie called to the bird. “I knew you were important.”
Jack kept reading:
The honey guide leads a Masai tribesperson to a beehive. The bird waits for him or her to scatter the bees and take the honey. Then the bird feasts on the honeycomb.
“That’s cool,” said Jack. “They work together, like the zebras and wildebeests and gazelles.”
“Yeah,” said Annie. “And she wants us to be her helpers. We have to scatter the bees and leave her the honeycomb.”
“How do we do that?” said Jack. He looked back at the book. It didn’t say how.
“Well, maybe we could wave those weeds at them,” said Annie. She pointed to some bright green plants that looked like giant fans.
Jack put his book and backpack down. He and Annie pulled up the weeds. They waved them near the tree, and the bees scattered.
Next, Jack grabbed the tree branch and jiggled it. The hive fell to the ground and broke open.
Annie stooped and stuck her finger into the golden honeycomb.
“Yummy,” she said when she tasted the honey. “Try it.”
Jack stuck his finger in the honeycomb, too. He licked off the golden honey. It was the sweetest honey he had ever tasted.
“Now the honey guide can get to her honeycomb,” said Annie.
“Yeah, but she’d better hurry. Before the bees come back,” said Jack.
“It’s weird,” said Annie. “Honey’s so sweet and good. But to get it, you have to go past a lot of dangerous bees.”
“Oh, man,” whispered Jack. “That’s it.”
“That’s what?” asked Annie.
Jack said Morgan’s riddle:
I’m the color of gold and as sweet as can be. But beware of the danger that’s all around me. What am I?
“I get it,” Annie whispered. “Honey … ”
“Honey,” said Jack, nodding and smiling. “That’s it. We’ve answered Morgan’s riddle. Let’s go home.”
He stood up to leave. He gasped.
Standing in the shadows was a tall man with a spear and a curved sword hanging from his belt. His face was painted in fierce, bright colors.
Jack knew at once what he was.
A Masai warrior.
“Hi, there,” Annie said in a small voice.
The warrior stared back at Jack and Annie.
“We were helping one of your honey guides,” said Annie.
The warrior was as still as a statue.
“We didn’t mean to steal anything,” Jack said. “In fact, it’s all yours. We’ve had enough.”
“Lots of good honey still there,” Annie said, smiling.
The warrior narrowed his eyes.
Is he angry? Jack wondered.
“I’m sorry we were trespassing,” said Jack. “We come in peace. In fact, we bring gifts.” He picked up his backpack and held it out to the warrior.
The warrior still didn’t move.
“This?” Jack held up his book.
Nothing.
“Uh—” Jack reached into his pack. He pulled out the big jar of peanut butter.
“Peanut butter!” He pulled out the loaf of bread. “Bread! Hey. Hey! How about a peanut butter and honey sandwich?”
“Yum!” Annie said, watching the warrior.
The warrior stared at the food.
“We’ll show you,” said Jack.
As Jack unwrapped the bread, his hands shook.
Annie opened the jar.
“We don’t have anything to spread it with,” she said.
“Use your fingers,” said Jack.
“Excuse me,” Annie said to the warrior. “I have to use my fingers. But they’re pretty clean. An elephant just—”
“Just do it, Annie!” said Jack.
“Okay, okay.”
She spread the peanut butter onto a slice of bread with her fingers. At the same time, Jack spread the honey from the beehive on another slice.
Jack and Annie put their pieces of bread together.
“Ta-da!” said Annie, handing the sandwich to the warrior.
The warrior took the sandwich, but he didn’t eat it. He just looked at it.
“Let’s make sandwiches for us, too,” Jack said. “So he doesn’t have to eat alone.”
They quickly made two more sandwiches.
“See, like this,” said Annie. She bit into her sandwich. “Mmm … yum.”
Jack took a bite, too. “Mmm … ” he said. It was really good.
Finally, the warrior bit into his sandwich. He chewed slowly.
“This is called a picnic,” said Annie.
They ate their sandwiches in silence.
When they finished, Jack screwed the lid back on the peanut butter jar.
“Not bad, huh?” he said.
The warrior smiled. He had a kind, dignified smile.
Jack and Annie smiled back at him.
Then the warrior turned gracefully and vanished into the trees.
“Oh, man,” said Jack. Part of him wanted to follow the silent warrior through the shadowy forest.
“Ready?” Annie asked softly.
Jack nodded.
Annie started to go.
“Wait,” said Jack. He put away the peanut butter and bread. “We’re going back to the tree house, right? We’re not going to do anything silly, like rescue anything or chase birds. Right?”
“Those things aren’t silly,” said Annie. “Don’t forget that the bird gave us the answer to the riddle.”
“Oh. Right,” said Jack.
He looked at the little honey guide. She was on the ground, pecking at the honeycomb.
“Thanks,” Jack said to the bird.
“Have a good feast,” said Annie.
Jack put on his pack. Then he and Annie started out of the forest.
When they passed the pond, they saw the elephant still splashing in the water. He lifted his trunk. He seemed to be waving at them.
“See ya!” Annie shouted, waving back.
They rounded the bend in the river, then started through the tall grass.
As they walked back toward the tree house, they saw the wildebeests in the distance. There were still some crossing the river.
They saw a family of zebras grazing together.
They saw lone giraffes walking from tree to tree, eating the leaves.
And they saw a bunch of lions sleeping in the shade of a tree—the same tree that the tree house was in.
“Whoops,” said Annie.
Jack’s heart gave a jump.
“So there they are,” he said.
Jack and Annie crouched in the tall grass. There was a big lion, three lionesses, and a bunch of cubs.
�
�I think they’re sleeping,” whispered Annie.
“Yeah,” said Jack. “But for how long?”
He pulled the Africa book from his pack and opened it. He found a picture of lions sleeping under a tree.
He read in a whispery voice:
After a pride of lions has eaten, they rest for a few hours. The other—
“What did they have for lunch?” Annie broke in.
“Don’t ask,” said Jack. He kept reading:
Sensing that the lions are not hunting at the moment, the other animals graze nearby.
“If they can graze, then we’re safe,” said Annie. She started to stand.
“Wait!” Jack pulled her down. “Not so fast.”
He peered around. The words in the book seemed true: the zebras and giraffes didn’t seem to be bothered by the lions at all.
“They might be safe. But I’m not sure about us,” said Jack. “We need a plan.”
“What if we wait till they leave?” said Annie.
“That could take hours,” said Jack. “Plus they might be hungry again by then.”
“Oh, right,” said Annie.
“So here’s the plan—we tiptoe,” said Jack.
“Tiptoe?”
“Yeah?”
“That’s your whole plan?” said Annie.
“Yeah, tiptoe to the rope ladder,” said Jack. “Very quietly.”
“Good plan,” Annie teased.
“Just do it,” said Jack. He stood up slowly. Annie stood with him.
They began tiptoeing through the grass very slowly.
The lion flicked his tail.
Jack and Annie froze.
When his tail was still again, they moved again.
Suddenly, high-pitched laughter split the air.
Jack and Annie stopped.
The hyenas were back! They were standing off to the side, watching Jack and Annie.
Jack and Annie made silent monster faces and shook their fists. But the hyenas only laughed some more.
The big lion stirred lazily. He opened his golden eyes.
Jack felt the hair rise on the back of his neck. But he didn’t move an inch.
The lion lifted his head and yawned. His giant teeth gleamed in the sunlight. The lion turned his head as he looked around sleepily.
Lions at Lunchtime Page 2
