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CHAPTER THIRTEEN

What are they doing?

It is a terrible roar! But this time Bill turns too fast. He can see my face and hands around my mouth.

‘What are you doing’ he cries.

‘I’m sneezing,’ I say and roar again. ‘Again sneezing. I’m sorry. I always sneeze like that.’

Bill’s face is very strange now. He puts his hands in front of him and makes fists.

At that moment we can hear a terrible noise. I look behind Bill. All the big giraffes and their babies are running at us.

‘Look out, Bill’ I cry.

Bill looks round, sees the giraffes and jumps up. Then he starts running. I run too. We run and run. There is that muddy waterhole in front of us.

‘Jump’ Bill and I cry together.

We are with our heads in the mud again. When we are out of the mud, we can’t see any giraffes. There are no giraffes next to the trees or bushes. There are no giraffes on the grass. But. there are other animals. These animals have got very big ears, and they are very angry. They are hitting trees, and the trees are falling onto the ground. They are elephants!

‘What are they doing’ asks Bill. He is afraid.

‘They are breaking trees,’ I answer.

‘I can see that,’ Bill says. ‘Why are they doing it?’

I am thinking what to say. Suddenly I have got an idea. ‘They are playing hide-and-seek with the giraffes. Look, there are no giraffes. They are hiding from the elephants.’

Bill is surprised. ‘How do you know’ he asks.

‘My dad knows a lot about different animals. Elephants and giraffes are good friends. They often play together. Elephants are very clever. If they break down all the trees and bushes, giraffes can’t hide behind them. Then elephants find them.’

‘And what do they do after that’ asks Bill.

‘Then elephants hide from giraffes. Only giraffes are very tall and can see very far. And elephants are too fat. So giraffes can see elephants behind trees and bushes.’

‘Where do elephants hide then’ asks Bill.

‘They jump into a waterhole and hide in the mud,’ I answer.

‘This waterhole!?’ Bill’s eyes get very big, and his face changes its colour.

‘Any waterhole, only I can’t see another one here,’ I say.

Bill looks at me. Then he cries ‘Mummy!’ and runs out of the mud. I run after him.

We run and run. Then Bill gets tired and falls on the ground. I sit down next to him.