An African Fable
Will Steenbok find the Rain?
By
Salome Byleveldt
Copyright Salome Byleveldt 2014
Thank you for respecting the work of this author.
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Table of Contents:
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End Notes
Other Books by Salome Byleveldt
“I don’t want to play, Meerkat,” Monkey said irritably. “It is way too hot!”
The Animals were all sitting listlessly around the circle that was made when the big rock fell from the skies. That happened a very long time ago, during the time of their ancestors.
“When will it rain again, Owl?” Meerkat asked Owl.
Owl slowly opened one eye. “Ahem…” he said, opening his other eye.
“Yes, Owl, you are the wise one. When will the rains start?” Monkey had joined Meerkat under the tree where Owl had been sleeping.
“Ahem…” was the only response they got. Giraffe was standing closer, to hear what Owl had to say.
“It is so very hot!” Giraffe said. “It is so very dry!”
“The water-hole is almost dry” added Elephant. “When will it rain again, Owl?”
All the Animals came closer to hear what Owl had to say. They were now standing under the tree with Meerkat and Monkey.
“Ahem…” Owl cleared his throat.
“Owl, you are the wise one. When will it rain again?” the Animals demanded.
“Ahem…” said Owl again. “Have you noticed that there are no clouds in the sky?”
All the Animals looked up at the sky. It was a very bright blue and Sun was burning hotly from the sky.
“Yes Owl,” they said. “We can see no clouds in the sky.”
“Well,” Owl continued, “if there are no clouds in the sky, then it cannot rain.”
“We all know that, Owl!” Hippo said indignantly. “How else would it rain if there aren’t clouds in the sky?”
“Even I knew that,” Baboon added.
“When will there be clouds in the sky so that it can rain again, Owl?” Mouse squealed impatiently. Mouse was sitting on top of Elephant’s head. That’s where he always sat.
“Little bitty Mouse,” Owl said menacingly. “You’re only bite-sized and I’ll eat you for breakfast. Don’t you get cheeky with me!”
“Owl!” warned Elephant, “don’t threaten my best friend!” Elephant reared onto his hind legs, trying to reach Owl where he was sitting in the tree. Mouse was Elephant’s best friend ever since Elephant had saved him from drowning. That was during the big fire. Hyena had to cross the Namib after that fire, to see if it was Sun that was the one who started the fires.
“Yes, Owl!” the Animals shouted now, “don’t threaten Elephant’s best friend. Rather tell us when it will rain again!”
Owl shook his feathers.
“When will it rain again, Owl?” the Animals demanded. “You’re supposed to be the wise one. Answer us!” All the Animals were hot and irritable. They made a lot of noise.
Lion was sleeping under the big tree, but the noise woke him up. He was hot and irritable too.
“Enough!” Lion roared. “Enough I say!” he shouted when Monkey was still jabbering loudly.
“What’s going on here?” demanded Lion. But no-one spoke up.
“What’s going on here, Owl? You seem to be at the centre of all this noise!” Lion gave Owl a menacing look. Owl looked away, but he could feel Lion’s yellow eyes boring into him.
“Ahem…” Owl cleared his throat. “The Animals want to know when it will rain again, Lion.”
“Well that is a very good question, Owl,” Lion said. “When will it rain again?”
“Yes, when will it rain again, Owl?” the Animals shouted. “You’re the wise one, answer us!” Lion had to roar to restore order. Owl was thinking furiously. Who knew when it would rain again? But Owl liked to be called “The Wise One”
“We have already established that there are no clouds in the sky,” Owl said in a reedy, old professor’s voice.
“Yes!” shouted Hippo. “That’s why it doesn’t rain! Now get on with it!”
“Yes, get on with it!” shouted the Animals and Lion had to roar again. Lion fixed Owl with another yellow stare.
“Well yes, if you’ll stop interrupting me,” Owl’s voice had gone up another octave.
“Have you considered why there are no clouds in the sky?” Owl asked the Animals, but he kept his eyes on Lion.
“There is a very big mountain, very far away,” Hippo said. “It is the mountain they call the Dragon Mountain. The clouds come from the other side of this very big mountain.”
“Ooh, really?” asked the Animals.
“Yes,” said Hippo. “That is what the Rumours that run down the river told me.” Lion lifted an eyebrow in disbelief and Hippo added stubbornly: “…and the Rumours are always right.”
“That was not the question, Hippo,” said Owl haughtily. “I asked why there are no clouds in the sky, didn’t I?” Hippo was very glad that his skin was very dark. Nobody could see how he was blushing. Everyone was quiet now.
“Why are there no clouds in the sky?” Owl hooted loudly from his perch high up in the tree. “Why?” Owl looked down his nose at the Animals.
“Where are the clouds then? Where, I ask you!” Owl ranted when he got no response from the crowd below.
“Where are the clouds, oh Wise One?” the Animals were hanging onto Owl’s every word now. Lion was also listening raptly at Owl.
“Inside the Earth,” Owl’s voice was high and reedy again. “Deep inside the Earth!”
“Deep inside the Earth?” the Animals looked at each other in confusion. Clouds were supposed to be high in the sky.
“The clouds come from the other side of the Dragon Mountain!” Hippo blurted. Owl’s ramblings were such a load of nonsense to Hippo’s ear that he couldn’t contain himself any longer. “And that is the truth that the Rumours speak!”
“Yes, that is the truth that Hippo and the Rumours speak,” Jackal agreed with Hippo, thoroughly annoyed.
“Yes, yes,” Owl said soothingly. “Hippo and the Rumours are right. But first it has to come out from somewhere.”
“Oh yeah?” Jackal was sceptical.
“From deep inside the earth, Jackal,” Owl was using his reedy, old professor’s voice again. “The clouds must first come out from deep inside the earth.”
“Enough of this,” roared Lion. “Answer the question, Owl! Why does it not rain?”
“Because the dragon had fallen asleep again, Lion,” Owl’s voice was still too high, but he was talking much faster now. “The clouds can’t get out from deep inside the earth because the dragon had fallen asleep on the spot where the clouds must come out.”
“Stop talking nonsense, Owl!” Lion roared. “What are you talking about?”
“The Dragon Mountain is a real dragon, Lion,” Owl was now talking very fast. “The dragon is very lazy, so it pretends to be a mountain. Nobody bothers a mountain, so the dragon can sleep peacefully all the time.”
“Gmph…” said Lion.
“It’s true, Lion. The dragon that pretends to be a mountain had fallen asleep on the spot where the clouds must come out of the earth. Now the clouds are stuck inside the earth and it can’t rain!”
“Ooh, it can’t rain because of the dragon?” the Animals suddenly realised what Owl was saying.
“Yes indeed.” Owl sounded very wise. “It can’t rain because the dragon is sleeping!”
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“But we will die of thirst if it doesn’t rain!” Mouse said in a hoarse whisper.
“We will die! We will die!” cried the Animals.
“What can we do?” asked Giraffe. “What can we do?”
“Jackal, you always have a good plan,” said Elephant. “What can we do?” Jackal sat down and thought and thought.
“Can’t you think faster, Jackal?” Eagle complained. But Jackal ignored Eagle and kept on thinking. Then he suddenly sprang up and danced around in circles.
“I know! I know!” he shouted. “We must wake the dragon!”
“Ooh! Wake the dragon?” cried the Animals. “The dragon that is as big as a mountain?” Ostrich fainted and dropped down as if dead.
~~**~~
“Who could we send to wake the dragon?” the Animals asked. “Who is brave enough?”
“I can’t go,” said Buffalo. “I need lots of water. I need to stay close to the river.”
Hippo shook his head as well. He couldn’t go either. He also must stay close to the water, he said.
Eagle tried to hide behind a tree. But there was no space behind the tree as Baboon was already there.
“I can go,” Tortoise offered. The Animals laughed.
“The matter is too urgent and you are too slow,” Owl said harshly.
“Where’s Crocodile?” asked Buffalo. “He could go.” Everyone looked around for Crocodile, but he was nowhere to be found.
“I haven’t seen him for very many days now,” said Hippo. “He must have gone up the dry river-bed to find another water-hole.”
Without making a noise Kudu carefully sneaked away.
“Steenbok can go!” Owl suddenly hooted. “She doesn’t need to drink water, she can go!”
“Ooh! Yes, that is a good plan!” cried the Animals. “Steenbok can go!”
“But I d-don’t want to go,” Steenbok said hesitantly. “B-besides, h-how will I wake the dragon?”
“You’ll have to stomp on his toes, of course,” said Buffalo.
“But I have only small hooves!” Steenbok complained. “I can’t stomp!”
“Yes, that could be a problem,” Owl admitted. “Who can stomp? Who could go with Steenbok to wake the dragon?”
“I can’t stomp,” said Meerkat sadly.
“I can’t stomp either,” said Monkey.
“Elephant can stomp!” said Buffalo. But Elephant shook his head sadly. No, he couldn’t go. He needs water.
The Animals thought and thought. Who could go with Steenbok to wake the dragon?
“But I d-don’t want to go,” Steenbok stammered, shaking her head. One of her ears was twitching nervously.
“You have to find the rain, Steenbok,” Owl said. “You have to save the Animals.”
“But I’m just a little antelope,” Steenbok complained. “I scare easily.” All the while Steenbok’s ear was twitching furiously.
“You have to go, Steenbok!” shouted the Animals. “You have to save us from dying of thirst!” Steenbok’s ear kept on twitching. She was very scared to travel to this faraway place where the dragon slept.
“Now who could go with you?” Lion asked. He thought and thought and then he decided that Eagle should go with Steenbok. He could soar above the trees and look for the best route to go to the dragon that pretends to be a mountain. Eagle did not look very happy with this announcement.
“Eagle can look for the best way to travel,” Owl said, “but who could help Steenbok to wake the dragon?” Owl asked.
“Baboon must go with Steenbok,” Lion decided.
“Baboon?” the Animals asked in surprise. “Baboon?!”
“Yes,” said Lion. “He can jump onto the dragon’s back and pull his ears to wake him up. Yes, that is a good plan,” Lion decided. Then he walked away and plopped down under his favourite tree. He promptly fell asleep.
~~**~~
Early the next morning Monkey, Jackal and Porcupine stood in the circle, waiting for Steenbok, Baboon and Eagle so that they could wave them off. They waited and waited. When Sun was already high in the sky, Eagle arrived.
“Where are the others?” Jackal asked.
“Oh,” said Eagle casually, “they’ve gone ahead. I told them I’ll catch up later.”
“You’ve sent that baboon with Steenbok? Alone?” Jackal was upset.
“Yeah, I’ll catch up with them later, as I said.” Eagle was grooming his feathers. “Don’t I look magnificent?” he asked.
“Yes, like a magnificent bully, if you ask me,” Porcupine mumbled under his breath. But Eagle had only heard the “Yes.”
“Thank you, Porcupine,” Eagle said. “I sent them ahead so that Baboon can get some practice in pulling ears.”
“WHAT?!” Monkey, Jackal and Porcupine shouted in chorus.
“Yes, Steenbok has pretty big ears. Baboon wanted to practice on Steenbok so that he was ready when he had to wake the dragon.”
“Baboon is practicing on Steenbok?” Jackal was stunned.
“Very tedious, you know, these practicing sessions,” Eagle said haughtily. “So I sent them ahead.”
“You big bully!” cried Monkey.
“Well, Baboon has to get some practice, don’t you think? I thought it was a clever plan.” Eagle was not troubled.
“We have to find them,” said Jackal urgently. “We have to find them.”
“Yes, what can be done?” Monkey was very upset. “Steenbok can’t go alone with these bullies!”
“We have to go with them!” Porcupine was excited.
“But we need water, Porcupine,” Monkey said. “We need to drink.”
“If we stayed in the river-bed, we could drink from the remaining water-holes,” Jackal suggested. “Then we would be able to go with Steenbok so that she’s not alone with these bullies.”
“Yes,” said Monkey. “That’s a good plan. The route would be a little bit longer, but that’s the best we could do.”
“Yes, yes!” Porcupine shouted excitedly.
“Then let’s get going, Monkey,” Jackal said. “Sun is already very high in the sky.”
“What about me?” Porcupine demanded. “What about me?” He bristled in anger.
“You have to stay,” Jackal said.
“No, I’m coming along!” Porcupine said stubbornly. He rattled his quills.
“No,” said Jackal.
“But I’ve always wanted to see a dragon! Why can’t I come along?”
“There won’t be enough water for you too!” Jackal said.
“I’m not big. I drink very little water,” Porcupine reasoned. “Besides, I can help to wake the dragon.”
“How?” asked Monkey. “How could you help?”
“I’ll poke him with my sharp quills!” Porcupine spread his quills to show them. “That will wake him up!” Porcupine strutted around, rattling his quills.
“He has a point there,” agreed Jackal. “He could help Steenbok to wake the dragon.”
“Yes, I’m brave,” Porcupine bragged. “I’ll poke the dragon! I’ll wake him up and then I’ll fight him until he lets the clouds out of the earth!”
“This I want to see,” said Monkey. Porcupine’s excitement was catching.
“Very well, then.” Jackal grinned. He was also getting excited.
“Ahem…” Eagle cleared his throat.
“What?” Monkey asked. They’ve all forgotten about Eagle.
“Well, you seem to have all the angles covered then,” said Eagle. “I don’t think you’ll need me anymore. I’ll let you get on with it then.” Eagle spread his wings and took off.
“Coward!” Porcupine shouted after him.
~~**~~
It was very late before Jackal spotted Steenbok. She was slightly ahead of them, walking stealthily, one of her ears twitching nervously. Before Jackal could call out to Steenbok, Monkey crashed through the bush behind Jackal and Steenbok took off in fright and ran, zig-zagging through the bush as fast as she could.
“Now s
ee what you’ve done,” mumbled Jackal and took off after Steenbok.
“Wait Steenbok, it’s only us,” shouted Monkey, setting off after Jackal.
“What’s happening, what’s happening?” Porcupine came up at the rear. “Have we found the dragon? Let me through! Let me fight the dragon!”
“Wait Steenbok, wait!” shouted Jackal. They kept on shouting until eventually Steenbok heard them and she came to a standstill, panting heavily.
“You frightened me!” she complained once she had caught her breath. “I thought it was Baboon behind me!”
“Where is Baboon?” Jackal asked.
“I g-gave him the slip,” said Steenbok with a trembling lip, “and then I ran away as fast as I could.”
“Was he pulling your ears?” Jackal asked.
“Y-yes. It was hurting and he wouldn’t stop even when I asked him nicely.” Steenbok’s eyes were swimming in tears.
“I’ll poke that bully!” Porcupine bristled. “When I catch up with him, he’ll be sorry.” Porcupine pranced around, spreading and rattling his quills. “The dragon will be sorry too! I’ll poke him and fight him and scare him away so that the clouds could come out of the earth again!” Even Steenbok gave a hesitant smile at Porcupine’s performance.
“I’m very glad to see you all,” said Steenbok. “It is very scary out here when one is alone.”
“We’re coming with you, Steenbok,” said Monkey. “We’ll help you wake the dragon.”
“I’ll poke him and fight him and scare him away!” repeated Porcupine.
“But you can’t!” cried Steenbok, her ear was twitching furiously.
“Of course I can!” shouted Porcupine angrily. “I’m brave, remember! I’ll poke him and fight him and scare him away!”
“No, I mean you can’t come with me,” Steenbok said. “I don’t need to drink water. I get enough from the food that I eat. But you! You need to drink or you’ll die of thirst!”
“We’ve got a plan,” said Monkey. “Let Jackal explain.” So Jackal told Steenbok about their plan to follow the river-bed. Even though the river had dried up, they would still be able to find water-holes. They would have to remain in the river-bed though, he warned. There would be no water if they wandered off into the bush.
“Then let’s go find the river-bed,” said Steenbok happily. “If you don’t mind me saying so, I’m mighty glad of the company.” Her nervous twitch was gone.
~~**~~
“I’m thirsty!” complained Monkey. The little group had been walking in the dry river-bed for very many days. Sometimes they found a water-hole with plenty of water, but other times the hole was small and had more mud than water. Many of the holes had totally dried up. The last one that they could drink from was yesterday morning. Now Sun was already high in the sky and it was blazingly hot.