حمام

CHAPTER SIX

A Bath

Spotty and his mum are going to Bill’s tree. They are next to it now. The mother starts eating leaves on the tree. I can see her tongue. It is so long! It is half a metre long. Then I look at Bill. He is shaking. Oh no! He is afraid of Spotty’s mum! Or is he afraid of her big tongue? Bill hides in the leaves. But Spotty’s mum eats very fast. Soon there are no leaves on the tree, and Bill can’t hide in them. He looks down. He wants to jump. Never! I open my mouth and make a terrible ‘ROAR!’ again.

Bill’s head is in his shoulders now. He doesn’t want to jump down anymore. The mother’s tongue is next to Bill. First, it licks his head. Then it licks his face and ears. I think Bill is very clean now. Then Spotty’s mum puts her tongue away and looks at Bill. He is wet, and he is afraid, too. Suddenly he smiles at the mother. She looks very surprised. It is the first time a tree smiles at her. She gets angry. Oh no! She starts shaking the tree with her horns and neck. Poor Bill! He is holding by the branches, but the mother is very strong. Now I am afraid too. If Bill falls down, he can break his neck.

Suddenly Spotty puts his nose to his mum. He is thirsty. He wants his milk. So she stops shaking the tree and licks Spotty. Bill climbs down the tree very fast and runs to me. He hides behind my tree. He looks ugly but happy. ‘Oh Jack! This mother giraffe is terrible!’ he cries. I think he is terrible, but I don’t say it to him. I am looking at my giraffes. They are eating. The mother is four metres tall. She needs a lot of leaves to be so big. And Spotty needs a lot of milk to be like his mum. Eat, dear Spotty, eat and grow fast. Then no silly Bill can catch you.