The Adventures of Lucy, the Lynx
A Little Tale for Big People
Laurie Campbell
Copyright © 2014 Laurie Campbell
All rights reserved.
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The Adventures of Lucy, the Lynx
A Little Tale for Big People
Lucy, the lynx, and her family live at the Green Ark, a wildlife sanctuary. People, young and old, and from near and far, come to marvel at the variety of birds and animals. There are displays of penguins, puffins, and exotic fish. The lynx exhibit is considered to be one of the highlights. The visitors stop and stare in disbelief. They are amazed at how a mother lynx could have five kittens.
The grey coloured kitten is named Libra, and the brown striped kitten is named Linus. There are also twins; Lily, who is shy, and Leo, who has big ears. And then there is Lucy. Lucy is the most curious of the kittens. She sits in front of her mother to greet the visitors with her bright eyes.
Everyone, especially the children, say how cute and cuddly they looked. They often say that the kittens must have have fun playing all day, chasing each other.
Mother Lynx mutters to herself, If only they knew what had happened. She had been captured by a hunter, but was later rescued and brought to Green Ark. At the time, she was pregnant, and it was at the Green Ark where she gave birth to her kittens. Her sister Maude had left home earlier, to roam across Canada, into the wilds of Alaska.
To think that they are now cooped up in this small enclosure. If they were out in the wild, the kittens would have space to run and chase, which would develop their muscles. I would be able to teach them how to hunt. Now, all I can give them about their past is stories about Aunt Maude. Where ever you are, Maude, I hope you are healthy and free. Well, best get the kittens settled for the night. Out loud she says to her kittens, "It is time for a wash, and some bedtime stories before lights out."
The kittens love to hear about the wonderful adventures of Aunt Maude. Mother Lynx tells them the story of Aunt Maude meeting the bald eagles, who taught her their chirping whistles - kleek, kik, ik, ik, ik.
They would tell her where she could travel, and to watch out for the large bears, who hunted in the streams, using their large paws to catch the jumping salmon.
Aunt Maude loved climbing mountains to see the mountain goats and Dall sheep. The kittens find it difficult to understand how Aunt Maude, the goats, and the sheep could climb the steep cliffs without falling over the edge.
One of their favourite stories is Aunt Maude's encounter with the Steller sea lions. They are large, quivering masses of flesh, with bulging eyes, and flat, square noses. When Mother Lynx imitates the grumbles, growls, and roars of the seals, the kittens lustfully join in, flapping their front legs together, pretending they are flippers.
Lucy closes her eyes when her mother describes Aunt Maude, seeing dolphins playing in the blue and green ocean: their bodies rising and falling in time to the ocean waves. Lucy's body rocks back-and-forth pretending she's riding on the back of a dolphin.
The kittens are sleepy and begin to close their eyes. Mother Lynx says to herself, Good, they are finally starting to fall asleep. One more story should do the trick. Which one will I tell them?
She decides to tell them of the time when Aunt Maude was made an honourary member of an Elk Club because she scared off a wolf from attacking a herd of elk.
Elk are scared of lynxes because they are known as predators. Aunt Maude's bravery in protecting the elk, instead of chasing the herd, was indeed a rare event.
Lucy asks, "What's a predator?" Mother Lynx pauses before she replies. She knew this day would come, and she decides that it is best to be honest. "It means an animal that kills other animals for its food." In the wild, lynxes hunt for snowshoe hares. When they are scarce, then they hunt for voles, and grouse, and ptarmigan. And, there are times where lynxes, if they are very hungry, try to catch calves of elk, caribou, and moose.
Lucy replies, "We don't kill our food. We get to eat ground meat. So, does this mean that we are not predators?"
Her mother says, "Not here, but if you were in the wild, then you would have to find your own food."
"How come we are not out in the wild like Aunt Maude?" asks Lucy.
Not wanting to continue this discussion, Mother Lynx quickly says, "Because you're too small."
"But you're not too small," says Lucy.
"Lucy, that's enough questions for one night. It is time for bed." Mother Lynx thinks to herself, Someday Lucy's curiosity will get her into trouble. If only she could be like the other kittens.
Lucy lies curled up beside her mother. But sleep does not come. She is cross with her mother for not answering her questions. Lucy thinks, My mother treats me like a little kitten, but I'm not. I am going to show her. When she finally falls asleep, she dreams of floating on a large floe of ice, with her friend Penny, the puffin. Seals are basking on the ice, and they're surrounded by towering mountains and glaciers.
In the morning, Lucy decides she's going to leave home to seek her own adventures. Lucy says to herself, I can be just as brave as Aunt Maude, and find my own food!!
Lucy has discovered a small hole at the back of the enclosure between a rock and a tree. She is small enough that she can slip through the hole. Lucy likes to escape to meet the other animals and birds living at the Green Ark. During one of her tours of the Ark, she met Penny Puffin. She likes visiting Penny's house because there is always something going on. Sometimes there are games, other nights there is singing. The next night, when the lights are turned out, Lucy slips through the hole to visit Penny.
She creeps past the fish tank, and is surprised by how the light of the tank gives an eerie luminescence to the darkness. "Where are you going?" asks the fish.
"I am leaving to look for big-game," whispers Lucy.
"You mean like hide and seek? We love hide and seek. We will close our eyes and you can hide," said the large, blue and white fish.
"Yes, let's play. Why don't you fish count to a hundred?" When the fish open their eyes, Lucy has vanished into the darkness.
"Boy, she's good. Where are you, Lucy? Come back and play. We will let you count the next time," plead the fish.
Next, Lucy passes the penguin enclosure. The penguins are still awake. Gee, it must be great not having to go to bed so early, thinks Lucy.
"Where are you going, Lucy?" asks Mrs. Penguin.
"I'm in search of big-game," replies Lucy.
"Aren't you getting too big for games? You should join my dance class. I am teaching tap dancing. The visitors love to see my little penguins perform."
"I have two left feet, and they're too big. My feet are made for tracking big-game."
"There you go again, thinking about games. What would your mother think? Speaking of your mother, you should be home. You think about what I have said."
"Yes, Mrs. Penguin, I will think about what you have said." Lucy mutters to herself, There is no way I am taking dancing lessons. Dancing is for sissies.
When she arrives at Penny's house, there's a hive of activity. The adult penguins are enjoying a late night snack of herring, and the younger ones are playing on the rocks.
"Penny, come here," Lucy says quietly.
"What's up?" asks Penny.
"I'm leaving home to go hunting for big-game. Come, let's go."
Penny is excited because she loves playing games. Penny says, "But isn't it too late to leave? Why don't you come tomorrow, and we can play? The building will be closed, and they will want us to leave the enclosures, so th
ey can be cleaned."
Lucy wants to leave now, but perhaps Penny is right. They could slip out during the day and no one would notice, in the confusion of cleaning, that they had left.
The next day, Lucy and Penny find themselves outside on the sidewalk.
Neither one had ever been outside Green Ark. It is all very strange with fast moving cars and big trucks driving up and down the street, honking their horns to pass other vehicles. This is not how Lucy imagines the great outdoors to look. Where are the streams and the mountains her mother described in telling the adventures of Aunt Maude? Lucy is nervous, but she does not want to show her nervousness to Penny. She must play the part of being a brave cat. After all, it was her idea for this adventure.
Penny spies a large space, with trees, grass, and flowers, across the street. "Let's go there and play." Penny still does not understand that Lucy isn't interested in playing games. When the two cross the street, Lucy explains