Chapter 4
“We are coming up to our first stop of the day,” said the Colonel.
“What are we going to see first, hippos, elephants, or rhinos?” asked Clara, coming out of her seat.
“No, I don’t want to spoil the surprise. Discovery is part of the adventure,” replied the Colonel with a playful smile.
The open air carriages slowed by a large stand of trees.
“Why are all of those leaves moving so fast? asked Clara “There isn’t any wind,”
“Look closer,” said the Captain.
Clara squinted, “Oh my goodness, those are birds. I’ve never seen so many in my life. There must be a million of them.” She leaned over the edge of the carriage. “Can we get closer?”
“Yes Colonel, may we? I would love to study them more closely,” pleaded Mrs. Peabody.
“What the ladies want, the ladies get. But please stay close. Don’t go wandering off. There are dangerous animals and plants out here on the Savannah. I will assist Mrs. Peabody, and Captain, if you please, assist Miss Clara,” said the Colonel.
“What kind of birds are they Colonel?” asked Clara stepping out of the carriage.
“They are Fischer’s Love Birds.”
Clara shaded her eyes to get a better view in the blinding sun, “Is there a reason they’re so colorful?” she asked.
“This glorious array of lime greens, yellows, and reds is to attract a mate,” explained the Colonel, “The males are much brighter and more flamboyant than the females. These birds mate for life and will go into mourning if their mate dies.”
“Fascinating,” said Mrs. Peabody.
The carriage door slammed closed behind them. The boom traveled through the air like a cannon shot, and the birds exploded into the sky, squeaking and chirping. They swarmed, bobbed, and weaved through the trees and the carriages.
“Amazing, absolutely amazing,” shouted Clara over the thunder of the birds.
“There must be thousands,” said the Captain.
“Look, Colonel, the birds are landing on the carriage. Aren’t they magnificent? Have you ever seen birds with such vibrant plumage?” asked Mrs. Peabody
“Do you think we could get close to them and get a better look?” asked Clara.
“Yes, my dear,” replied the Captain, “Let us walk slowly as to not startle them.”
The small group crept back toward the carriage, birds swirling around them like a million bugs.
“Now look at this bird here,” said the Colonel, “his hooked beak is not only designed to catch insects from the air, but to get them from the bark of trees.”
“Is there any way we could feed them?” asked Clara. “That would be great.”
“Well, I bet we can find some bread to tempt the lovelies with,” said the Captain.
He retrieved a loaf from the basket Clive had packed for them.
“Miss Clara, Mrs. Peabody here is your bread,” the Captain said, also handing some to the Colonel, “Put it out at arm’s length. We don’t want the birds getting too close to our faces.”
The first birds tentatively flew to the bread and then swarmed to it. Soon they covered the party.
“Maybe this wasn’t a good idea,” shouted Clara. “I don’t like this. They’re biting me.”
“Stay calm, Clara,” shouted the Captain. “Start making your way back to the carriage slowly.”
“O-kay.”
Clara inched toward the carriage door. The birds’ wings pounded the air, causing a constant thumping. The torrent of wind created was immense. By the time she made it to the carriage, the birds lost interest in her breadless hands and flew off.
The Colonel, Captain, and Mrs. Peabody ran to help as she slumped to the ground. “They were everywhere,” sobbed Clara. “I couldn’t see, I could barely breathe. It was horrible. They wouldn’t stop.”
“It’s all right. I’ve got you now,” said the Captain, taking her in his arms and stroking her hair. “You’re all right now. Let’s get in the carriage.”
“Are you unharmed, my dear?” asked Mrs. Peabody, getting into the carriage after them, and checking Clara’s face, arms and hands.
“I think so,” Clara wiped the tears from her eyes and took a deep breath.
“Any major injuries?” asked the Colonel.
“Looks like a few little scratches. Easy to clean up,” said Mrs. Peabody.
“They came at me so fast. They’re not like the birds at home. My heart is beating like crazy. I don’t feel very good.”
“There is a clearing not much farther up the trail where we can rest and get some refreshment,” said the Colonel. “Let’s make sure everyone is back in their carriages so we can proceed.”
“I’m so sorry to ruin everyone’s fun,” said Clara.
“We’ve all learned a valuable lesson. These are wild creatures, not like the birds we have back in town. We must use much caution when we are out among them,” said the Captain.
“I agree completely,” said Mrs. Peabody fanning herself.
“Here, Clara, drink some water,” said the Captain. “Feeling better?”
“A little bit. My heart is still racing. I felt like I was in the movie Birds.”
“What is a movie?” asked Mrs. Peabody, intrigued.
“She means the book Birds by some American author. Poor girl still so shocked she’s making up words. Mrs. Peabody, if you would be so kind as to get a cool cloth from Clive?”
“Of course, Captain,” she replied, exiting the carriage.
“I’m so sorry, Captain. That just slipped out. I’ll be more careful, I promise,” Clara said, starting to tear up again.
Patting her hand, he said, “It’s all right. The main concern is that no major injury has befallen you. We will have some lunch and see what else the Colonel has in store for us.”
When they’d finished lunch, the Colonel got up from his chair, patting his stomach, “Now that everyone is properly feed, we can proceed to our next stop. Everyone to your carriages, if you please.”
The carriages jarred over the rough road bouncing there passengers around like rag dolls.
“Colonel, what is that animal? Over there, on that high log?” asked Clara.
“That is a Meer Kat. They are highly intelligent creatures.”
“What’s he doing?”
“He’s keeping watch, like a guard at the palace. If you wait, you will see several more patrolling the grounds.”
As if on cue, more appeared around a stump.
Clara leaned over the side of their carriage, pointing, “That’s so neat. The tall one seems to know we’re here. He’s up on his hind legs looking around.”
“Very observant, my dear, his whole job is to alert the rest of the family if trouble is near. He is probably giving a warning that we’re here and for them all to be alert,” replied the Colonel.
“Interesting. What would they do if a predator came close?” asked the Captain.
“That is an excellent question. One of the most common threats are snakes. They are low to the ground and can easily slither into the Meer Kat tunnels. When one is detected the whole family will arrive to defend their home. The one in charge of the young will get them to safety while the rest will attack the snake. They won’t stop until the snake is dead or has retreated from the mounds.”
“How do you know so much, Colonel?” asked Clara.
“I brought a Naturalist out here about a year ago. I must say, the chap was very interesting, learned more about these little beasties than I ever wanted to.”
Entering the conversation, Mrs. Peabody asked, “So they live underground?”
“They are like rabbits. This is the main entrance where the guard is. Then there are miles of interconnecting tunnels. They have chambers for everything, sleeping, food stores, and a nursery. Everything they would need is stored there.”
“Do they spend much time in the tunnels?” asked Mrs. Peabody.
“During the day, they spend m
ost of their time out here then go to ground at night.”
“Fascinating,” said Mrs. Peabody.
“Ladies, I will leave you under the watchful eye of Mr. Oasterhouse.”
“Thank you, Colonel,” Mrs. Peabody and Clara said together.