Hi boys and girls - its been quite awhile - since our last mystery animal was guessed by you all.  Our games and our fun will begin again now, with these coloring pages of our Eland pal.

Ok, I think that's all the clues you are going to get.  Did you guess an "eland"?  If you did, hurray!!!  You were right!  Here is a puzzle for you - this picture was taken at Pete's Pond by KJ

http://www.jigzone.com/z.php?m=B42507510B.597FD6F&i=6512DC5AA44&z=6

An interesting thing you may not know about me, when it's hot I can raise my temp up to 7 degrees! (Celsius that is) This helps me conserve water in times of drought, when not many waterholes are found about. 

I am one of the most adaptable ruminants. I am able to live in a wide array of enviroments, from deserts to savannahs, from grasslands to mountains. 

If while on Safari, a clicking sound you hear, it's a good indication a herd of us are near.  The "master bull" among us, is unique and easy to see, he has a tuft of hair on his forehead which he rubs in his own pee.  Yuck!!!

The largest antelope we may be, but alas we're also the slowest you see.  Only 25 mph Iwe can run, but we can leap over each other from a standing start - Wow! What fun!

Hi kids.  Great job guessing the last two mystery animals.  Here are some coloring pages of the leopard and Rhinoceros for  you. 

How many of you will get a this week for guessing the mystery animal?  I hope you all guessed it right - a rhino!  (If you know how to spell rhinoceros give yourself another )  We actually watched the birth of a baby rhino at a zoo thanks to a "rhino-cam".  The rhino mother's name is Sita and her baby, Zuri, was born on March 5, 2007 at the Paignton Zoo in ..  

http://www.jigzone.com/z.php?m=B42507510B.597FD6F&i=7512D7F6395&z=6

I put this story on the scrapbook thread and thought I would post it here too. I hope you like it.

click to enlarge

I realized that by going to Russia next week I would have to come back at some point and get Japan. So here is the family's Japan adventure.

click to enlarge

Here is the next installment of the Termite Mound Family Adventures. I hope that you are enjoying them.

click to enlarge

Next week, Russia!

Pointed and prehensile, I have a special lip which is capable of grasping shrubs whose leaves I strip and eat.  I have some friends called oxpeckers which perform important tasks, they eat the bugs and ticks on me while in the shade I doth bask.  While my eyesight is quite poor, my sense of smell and hearing are quite keen.  And with my two large horns, I can kill a human being.  So observe me from a distance, I am solitary and shy.  We can live in harmony, if only people would just try. 

I'm a browser and grazer, preferring long grass. It takes lots of vegetation to feed my large mass!  I'm dark gray in color, even though I often look brown.  From wallowing in mud that covers the ground!

A group of us are called a crash, and up to 40 mph I can dash. So don't be fooled by our lumbering size, I'm fast and I'm dangerous in spite of my poor eyes. 

Congratulations on getting your Kids' Page stickied - that's great! Such a lot of great stuff in here.

By the way, on Emoticons I asked you what camera you got and then I read about it on Shar's Scrapbook thread. Are you getting use to it?

I've always wanted to tell you too that I homeschooled my son way back when he was in 5th grade. The school was a very bad fit for him and we had to do an intervention kind of during the second half of the year. We then put him in another school system for 6th grade on and that went very well. I used 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea as a textbook. We studied geography, biology, math, English and science from it! I had a great time. Son wasn't as happy. He was glad to be out of the school but it was lonely being an only child. He missed other kids and there weren't home schooling groups back then. 

Here is a little poem inspired by the Termite Mound Family. I hope you like it.

                                         THE RAIN BIRD

High upon the highest branch of the highest tree in all of Sabi Sands,sat a Coucal bird,looking out across the vast savannah at grey clouds gathering on the horizon,encroaching upon the expanse of tranquil blue sky and a blazing sun that shone ferociously on the grass,parching it brown and baking the dry earth.The Dry season had been long and hot,even though before the Coucal had arrived in the bushveldt bordering the savannah,there had been very brief showers of rain just enough to keep the water-holes filled with that little bit of water,to keep the animals from struggling with thirst. The Coucal bird had a very special gift that none of the other animals knew about,not even the fabulous Witch Doctor,Mtwezigumba,who lived in the great ancient baobab tree on the edge of the bushveldt. The Coucal could sense rain.He could just feel the breeze blow just that little bit harder before even the vultures who rose up and down on the thermals high up in the sky,could feel it.He could smell the freshness of rain before any other animal,even better than the Leopards or the Jackals,and he could hear the distance thunder rumbling,and the pitter patter of raindrops before the Bat-eared Fox could,with his big sensitive ears.. And today,as he sat high up on that branch,he could tell that the grey clouds lumbering ever bigger on the horizon,foreboded a storm of great ferocity,coming to wreak havoc on Sabi much earlier than anyone would expect.He had to warn the animals..!

The Coucal flew out from his branch in the tree and began to fly around to warn the animals as fast as he could,that they needed to get to safe ground,away from the dry and cracked river channels that wound their way through the dusty savannah and bushveldt,before they would become swollen by raging torrents of water before even the storm would arrive.! He saw a herd of Elephants trudging their way through a thicket of Spikethorns,picking greedily at the peach-like fruits hanging from their green leathery leaved branches. Quickly,he flew down to a branch close to the leading Elephant,an old matriach of the herd.

"Quick,quick" the Coucal squawked. "A great storm is approaching,and you all will be in danger if you stay here in the low region.You must lead your herd up to higher and safer ground.!". The Matriach looked at the little Coucal with an expression of confusion on her face,at this crow sized chestnut brown bird with the black cap on its head.'Squawk,squawk!" it seemed to be saying,but she could not understand clearly,what this bird jumping up and down in an obvious panic,was saying.! Elephants did not speak much to birds,only to the little Ox-peckers that rode upon their backs,pecking and eating any annoying little ticks that bothered these great big lumbering beasts,or to the odd Cattle Egret that decided to sometimes hitch a ride too.! But even then,these birds spoke very few words to the Elephants that the pachyderms could not even be bothered to learn their language. So,this poor Coucals warnings seemed to be going in one big Elephant ear,and out the other.

Bothered and frustrated at its lack of communication to the Elephants,the frantic Coucal flew off to warn the Wildebeests munching on the rough grasses nearby. The Coucal flew down to a gruff looking Wildebeest,scraping and pawing at the dusty ground with its hooves. "Quick,quick,you must all flee to higher ground,for a storm is fast approaching,and it will swell the rivers even before it gets here..!" squawked the Coucal,flapping its wings at the Wildebeest. Now the Wildebeest did understand a little of the birds language,but he was too contented with eating to pay close attention to this pesky bird saying something that he caught that sounded like "storm coming..rivers.!" The Wildebeest gazed his lazy eyes towards the horizon at the dark clouds there. "Don't you worry us with talk of rain,for it is far too soon for the Wet season to begin.That storm will blow itself out before it gets anywhere near here.!" With that,he lowered his head,with its slightly crooked horns to a small patch of still green grass. "Look,the grass has not even turned brown here..I told you it is too early for rain.!" The Coucal fluttered to as many Wildebeest as he could to warn them of the storm,but they were either too busy eating grass,or having fun rolling about in the dust.

Away,the Coucal flew,feeling a little upset that neither the Elephants nor the Wildebeest did not understand or want to understand his warning. 'Maybe that Rhino scratching his bottom on the thick trunk of a Sausage tree,would listen to him,and he flew down to warn him. "Hurry,hurry,there is a great storm approaching,you must flee to higher ground..!" The Rhino was just like the Elephants,and did not understand a single word, and on top of that,he was in a bad mood. He did not want this little bird disturbing his peace.."Go away,can't you see i'm busy..!" grumbled the Rhino,and mock charged the little bird.

The Coucal could do little but fly away to try and warn the next animal,as the rivers began to flow with a trickle of water,and then the trickle turned into a strong stream.In the distance,thunder rumbled audibly across the darkening horizon.

The Coucal tried to tell the Hyena's lazing under the shade of a Maula tree,but they just laughed at the little bird with the funny sounding squawk,talking about a storm coming,but it was way too early in the season for that,..they were sure of it,besides they had just come back from a hunt and could not be bothered to move.. "Go away little bird,or we will eat you.!" they all laughed.

The Coucal was in a bit of a fuss now.No animal was understanding what he was saying clearly."Oh i wish,i wish,that i had a beautiful song like other birds,to bring animals to heed about coming rains..!" The sky was darkening now,and indeed the storm was approaching.The rivers were heaving with raging waters.Then he remembered the Witch Doctor in his baobab tree home.Maybe he can help.?

The Elephants stopped eating the Spike Thorn fruits and when they saw the rivers waters begin to spill over the edge of its banks,the matriach began to remember that little bird and it flapping its wings towards the dark storm clouds.It was trying to warn them,but now where were they going to go..the rivers were bursting their banks.?

Raindrops began to drop on the Wildebeest head as he chewed on his grass,and he looked up to see lightning streak across the dark grey sky,whicj spooked the herd from their eating and play. He looked across at the raging torrent of water that had began to spill over the rivers banks and began to overwhelm the low ground. 'Oh dear.!' he thought. 'Maybe that bird was right about the storm..but now where are we going to go,we are trapped.!?"

The Rhino stopped scratching his bottom,when a rumble of thunder cracked across a darkening sky,and rain began to fall,getting heavier and heavier,turning the baked hard mound into caking wet mud that sloshed at his feet.

The Hyena's were awoken from their lazy slumber when the wind blew hard through the tree under which they had been resting..They were not laughing now,as the low savannah and bush began to flood with the swollen rivers overflowing their banks "Help,we are trapped..someone save us."

The Coucal was flying as hard as he could against the howling winds that buffeted him with force,and his feathers becoming soaked with driving rain. There,in front of him,was the great baobab tree of the Witch Doctor,with the light of a lantern inside its great trunk.The Witch Doctor was arousing from a nap to the squawking of the Coucal as it flew in through the hole that was shaped like a window. "Quick,quick,Witch Doctor,you must flee,there is little time,for a storm is raging ever nearer,and this place will flood.!" He sat on the sill,nervously waiting to see if the Witch Doctor understood him... And he understood very clearly. "Then we must go fast to higher ground.!" replied the Witch Doctor. Mtwezigumba grabbed his staff,and wrapped a thick cloak around him to protect him from the driving rain. The Coucal flew close to the old wise man,and started to weep as he flew."Oh Witch Doctor..i tried to warn the other animals,but my voice is so horrid,that they could not understand me..!"  The Witch Doctor stopped briefly under the shelter of a smaller baobab.The Coucal perched upon a branch beside him,as they sheltered for a short respite.Mtwezigumba plucked a brown feather from the inside lining of his cloak,and placed it on the Coucal where it magically merged with his own feathers. "I know of a safe route to high ground that runs through the  bushveldt and up to the kopjes high rocks where the Hyrax dwell.Quickly go to all the animals that are stranded by the rising waters and show them the way through the bushveldt.They will now understand you and follow you." The Coucal suddenly saw the route to safety as if he was seeing through Mtwezigumba's eyes..."Go,quickly..!" said the Witch Doctor."Do not worry for me, i will be safe".

Out into the raging storm the Coucal flew,through driving rain and howling winds and cracking thunder and lightning. He found the Elephants huddled together in the Spikethorn thicket.knee deep in flood water."Come,follow me.!" he shouted to be heard above the rage of the tempest. The Elephants all heard him with such clarity,and began to follow without hesitation. The Rhino was still sheltering under the Sausage tree when the Coucal and the Elephants trudged by."Follow me..i know of a route to safety.!" cried out the Coucal in a clear voice. The Rhino followed the Elephants,and then the Wildebeest,who were huddled together much like the Elephants,with their backs to the driving rain and floodwaters up to their bellies."We are so sorry.!" shouted the wildebeest "We should have listened to you.!"

Through the wild storm,the Coucal found the route up to higher ground,having met a bedraggled looking bunch of Hyena's along the way. They found Mtwezigumba up on the high rocky ground with other inhabitants of Sabi all huddled together to wait out the storm.

The storm raged for almost till sunset before it finally blew away from the ravaged savannah and bush.The animals looked out at the sodden plains beneath them as the flash floods finally subsided..

"You have saved us all,little Coucal, and for that,we are all truely grateful." smiled Mtwezigumba. The Coucal ruffled his chestnut feathers in embarassment. "It was nearly a disaster.No-one could understand my ugly voice." he said,his heart sinking a little.The matriarch of the Elephants ambled up to the Coucal perched,and just a little wet,on a branch. "We are truely sorry for not learning how to speak bird,..but during the storm,your call carried across the raging winds with such beauty,and for once we listened and understood." The Rhino,the Wildebeest and the Hyena's nodded in agreement that they had never heard such a beautiful call.

The Coucal looked at Mtwezigumba in a little moment of confusion,before he realised the little feather the Witch Doctor had given him. Mtwezigumba smiled. "For your bravery, i gave you a call of such beauty.You have the ability to know when the rains are coming and going,so you will be able to let us all know with one voice that we all will understand.

The Coucal perched beside the Witch Doctor as they gazed out across the wet savannah,and the Coucal was the first to notice the great baobab tree that Mtwezigumba had reside,was nothing but a blackened shell,its trunk split and ripped apart by a streak of lightning wich had set the tree afire during the storm. "Oh no,your home has been destroyed,..i am so sorry.You gave me a gift at a loss to yourself..How can i ever repay you for your kindness.?" Mtwezigumba smiled warmly."Do not be troubled,i have not lost my home.Remember the other baobab we sheltered in.?" The Coucal nodded. "Soon,in time,that will become my new home,the next great baobab" Mtwezigumba rested on his staff."There is one favour i ask of you." "Go on.?" asked the Coucal. "That you come by my new home each sunset and sing me a beautiful song with your new voice." The Coucal felt proud,and readily agreed.

From that moment on,whenever rains were to come,the Coucal would sing his beautiful song to let the other animals know. And he would sing it again,whenever the rains would end.. and he would always be perched just outside the entrance to Mtwezigumba's 'little' baoba each sunset to sing him a song..

                                                       THE END

Hope that you are enjoying the weekly adventures of the Termite Mound Family. Here is their adventure in India.

click to enlarge

And if you missed any of the previous adventures, here is the link to their album. The story is backwards there.

http://s124.photobucket.com/albums/p8/shar1226/Petes%20Pond/Termite%20Mound%20Family/Adventures%20of%20The%20Termite%20Mound%20Family/

                                        THE KINGFISHER AND THE MAGPIE

Let me tell you the story of the little Malachite Kingfisher and how he got such a beautiful plumage.For he was'nt always a pretty blue,orange and white. Long time ago,the little Malachite Kingfisher was just an ordinary drab brown,so ordinary in fact,that many other animals mistook him for a small clump of sod soil,and some others treated him with ignorance as such was his plain feathers.So the poor little Malachite often kept himself out of the way and sat sullen and sad in his little hole in the riverbank under the Jackalberry tree.One of the birds,a big and bold Magpie,would often call him names and boast about his own beautiful plumage of red,and yellow and of irredescant blue,that would catch the sun and sparkle like a jewel. "Hah,here comes the little sod,look at how plain and ugly he is..!",the Magpie would say and laugh,in front of the Carmine Bee-eaters all sitting in a row on a nearby tree branch,their red feathers like rubies in the sun,and they would all laugh back,making poor little Malachite even sadder.

But there was one thing the other birds did not know about the boastful show-off Magpie.He had a penchant for stealing objects that were as bright and shiny as his plumage,and once his gaze caught the gleam of the object,it would draw him to it under a hypnotic trance.

One night,while all the day animals slept,and the night animals went about their quiet nocturnal business in a hush and often keeping hidden from notice by many others,the Magpie could not sleep. He stirred and fidgeted in his nest among the mopane tree,so he stretched his wings and hopped out to a higher branch. Suddenly,a glow of warm yellow light caught his eyes. It was coming from a large old baobab tree with a trunk so think that the local Witch Doctor,Mtwezigumba,could live in.Magpie knew well of Mtwezigumba,for this human was said to have magical powers and was said to be as old as the old baobab tree that he lived in. The Magpie fluttered down to the scrub of a nearby bush,and gazed in through a large round aperture in the trees trunk that could certainly be described as a window. Inside,he could see the old man asleep in his bed made of papyrus reed,under a blanket of woven grass and giant water lily pads.Beside his bed,resting up against the fissured inside wall of the tree,was the Witch Doctors staff made from the baobabs wood, and hanging from the crook of the staff,was a necklace with a large shiny jewel of many colours.It glimmered in the light of a small lantern hung nearby...and the Magpies eyes sparkled at its sight,drawing him to it like a bee to a flower."Oh,so pretty.!",he said."I must have it.!" Quietly as he could,the Magpie flew in,and with careful manipulation,he slipt the necklace off the staff,and grasped it in his thick yellow beak,and out the window he flew,into the night.

No-one,he thought,had seen him take the Witch Doctors necklace.No-one but a little drab brown bird hidden in the darkness who himself could not sleep that night.The Malachite Kingfisher had seen him fly in to the Witch Doctors home,and he had seen him steal the Witch Doctors necklace.The Witch Doctor was always kind to the little Mlachite Kingfisher and the little bird liked him a lot.

But the Magpie,in stealing the necklace,had unsteadied the staff,and it slid and fell with a clutter,onto the Witch Doctors bed. Wearily,Mtwezigumba awoke,and rubbed his eyes.Taking the lantern from the wall,he sat up in his bed to see what or who had disturbed him at such an early hour.It was then that he saw his staff lying upon the ground,..and his necklace missing. Up,he got with a start,and began to rummage about in search of his necklace.But soon,Mtwezigumba realised that his necklace had not been lost,but had been stolen by some troublesome theif.

"Who has stolen my necklace.?" the Witch Doctor cried out in anger,stirring a few of the sleeping diurnal animals from their sleep,and gaining the attention of the nocturnal animals.

The little Malachite Kingfisher flew down to the window and sat at the sill. The Witch Doctor saw him,and his angry scowl melted into a warm smile towards his little friend. "Hallo,my little friend.Do you know who has stolen my necklace..?". "Yes sir." replied the little Malachite. "It was the Magpie,i saw him fly in when you were sleeping,but i could do very little,and i am just a drab and ugly little bird that no-one will take notice of.!" said the Malachite with a saddened tone. "I always take notice of you,my little friend.If you will go find the Magpie and return with him with my necklace,then i shall repay you in kindness with a special gift." ."But no-one will notice me.I am just a small bird.!". "Oh,others will notice you,i'm quite sure.!" smiled Mtwezigumba.And with that,the little Malachite flew off to follow where he had seen the Magpie go. Into the approaching dawn he flew,and flew and flew.Until he suddenly came across a big old Rhino whining and howling in agony . "Ow,ooh,ow-wow.!" cried the Rhino. "Whatever is troubling you,Mr Rhinoceras.?". The Rhino looked around at first not knowing where the voice was coming from,but then seeing the little Kingfisher perched on a branch nearby. He lifted up his heavy right foot and bared its tough sole to the little Malachite and showed him a big sharp acacia thorn stuck in a soft spot between his toes."This thorn is hurting me,and i cannot get it out." . The Malachite then had an idea."Hold your foot up to me,if you can, and i will pull the thorn out with my beak". The Rhino did just so,and the Malachite Kingfisher gripped the thorn in his beak,and pulled it out,causing the big beast to whimper. When it was out,the Rhino lowered his foot,and after a few tentative spets,his hooked lips drew into a huge smile. "Oh thank you,thank you.!" he said with glee."That feels so much better..You have earned yourself a friend tonight.!" The Malachite bristled his feathers and felt proud to hear the Rhino give his frienship. "Um,i have a question to ask of you,Mr Rhino. A Magpie has stolen the Witch Doctors necklace, did you see him.?" "Yes i did,little buddy,..i saw the Magpie fly towards the Baboons home over yonder by the fallen Mopane tree." "Thank you" said the Malachite,and saying thier goodbyes,the Kingfisher flew on. The sun was peaking above the horizon by the time the little Malachite got to the fallen Mopane tree,making the sky lighter so he could see more clearly. Down by the fallen trunk,he could see the Baboon beating and scratching at the trunk in temper,...with one fist. The Malachite flew down and could see that the Baboons other hand was stuck in a crack in the trunk. "My hand is blooming stuck and i cannot get it out..!" said the Baboon kicking the trunk in anger. "What were you doing.?" the Malachite said inquizatively. "I saw a big juicy grub inside and wanted to grab it to eat,but i got my hand stuck.!". The Malachite fluttered to the ground and peered into the hollow end to see the Baboons hand grasping the fat grub. He smiled to himself at how simple it would be to release the Baboons hand. "Release your grip on the grub,and stretch your hand flat,then you can get your hand out of the crack." "What,and lose my juicy meal?" replied the Baboon. "I will get the grub for you" offered the Malachite. With that,the Baboon did as he was told,and with great ease,released his hand from the crack.The Malachite flew in a picked up the fat grub in his beak and flew it out to the Baboon. "Thank you,little bird..You have helped me out,and now you have earned yourself a friend.". "May i ask of you,Baboon. Have you by chance seen a Magpie fly this way,for he has stolen the Witch Doctors necklace..?". "Why yes,i did.He flew towards the Meerkats burrow,not far away." With that,they thanked each other and the Malachite Kingfisher flew on..

Soon,the sun had risen,spreading its warm glow on the savannah.The nocturnal animals had gone to bed,and the diurnal animals began to awaken. When the little Malachite reached the Meerkats sandy burrow,he could see them squabbling over a big black millipede."Its mine,i caught it..!" said one."No,its mine.i am the eldest!" said another. "No,its neither of yours,because i'm the cleverest!" said another.And another protested,and another..! The Malachite could see an easy solution to this,and flew down amidst the Meerkats,who stopped fighting abruptly."What goes on here.?" said one of the Meerkats as the Malachite flew bravely between them. "I have a simple idea to solve your bickering." said the little Kingfisher. And with that,he began to cut up the millipede into many sections and presented each Meerkat with a piece."Here you go,share this meal between you,equally." The Meerkats realised their folly and thanked the Malachite. "Thank you for showing us our selfishness." said one "Whenever you need us,we'll be glad to help you." replied another."There is but one question i wish to ask of you.have you seen a Magpie fly past,for he has stolen the Witch Doctors necklace and i have been asked to retrieve it.?" "Why yes we have!" said one Meerkat. "The Magpie is in his nest over in that nearby mopane tree." replied another. With that,the little Malachite thanked them,and flew up to the tree.

And there,he found the Magpie in his nest,which was gleaming with bright shiny objects he had stolen from many other humans,and the necklace was beside him. "Hey Magpie, i have been looking for you.!" said the little Malachite. "Oh,and whys that,my little sod.?" retorted the Magpie."You have stolen the Witch Doctors necklace,and he wants it back..!" "What necklace.?" replied the Magpie. "That one in your nest,there.The jewel with many colours.!" said the Malachite. The Magpie looked down,and his eyes suddenly widened as realisation of what he had done,had dawned on him. "Oh my,oh my,what have i done..?" he wailed."Whenever i see something shiny and glittering,i cannot find myself but hypnotised towards it. I am so sorry.!" "Then come back with me,and apologise to the Witch Doctor about your crime" said the little Malachite.

The Magpie agreed to return with the Kingfisher back to the baobab tree and the Witch Doctor. After a long journey,they returned to find the Rhino and the Baboon,talking to Mtwezigumba,and the Meerkats following up close behind. Their voices were hushed as both the birds flew down and perched at the window. The Magpie hung his head low and held out the necklace to the Witch Doctor. "I am so sorry that i stole from you,Witch Doctor."  "You know better than to let your greed for shiny pretty things to get the better of you,Magpie.!" said Mtwezigumba in a serious tone. With that,he turned towards the little Malachite Kingfisher."I had promised you a gift,and i shall keep my promise. "I have already recieved one gift!" said the little Malachite.,and he looked at the Rhino and the Baboon and the Meerkats."That was one of friendship".

"Ah,but let me give you another!".Mtwezigumba held up the jewel on the necklace that once again hung from his neck. The jewel glowed,and the colour in it seemed to fade. "Now look into my mirror." said the Witch Doctor.He held up a mirror to the Malachite Kingfisher,who,at seeing his reflection,laughed out in glee. His drab brown plumage was no more.Instead,it was the colour of what the jewel had been.He had shimmering blue to his back and wings and the crown of his head,that,like the Magpie,glimmered irridescantly like a jewel.Also,he had brillant fiery orange brast and cheeks and shocking white eyebrows."Oh i am so beautiful.!" he exclaimed.Mtwezigumba stepped up to the Magpie."As for you,for your many criminal deeds,i will take from you,what you so often like to boast." Again the necklace jewel glowed,and the Magpies plumage dulled as the colours drained out and into the Witch Doctors jewel,till he was left with a clear black and white feathers,but still there remained an irridescant greenish glimmer to his black parts."That glimmering green is for you to remember what you had stolen from me." said the Witch Doctor. The Malachite Kingfisher looked across at the sad face of the Magpie,and he too felt a little guilty for the Magpie. "Do not be sad,for you have still one most important thing."

"Whats that?" said the sad Magpie..  "I will give you my friendship and that of many others here in the savannah" replied the Malachite Kingfisher. The Magpie smiled a little. "Really,for the truth is,no-one really wanted to be my friend.?" "Yes,really.." said the Kingfisher,and from that day on,the Mgpie and the Malachite were the best of friends,and the Magpie never stole from anyone again..! But i cannot say that for every Magpie...!

So,..that is how the Malchite Kingfisher got his colourful plumage..

                                                             THE END

                                Tambo the Greedy Elephant

Tambo was a bull Elephant,the biggest bull in all of Sabi Sands,and he knew it.Tambo would thunder through the bushveldt trumpeting as loud as he could."Look at me,i am Tambo,the biggest and baddest Elephant around.!" And indeed he was bad,a true bad tempered bully in fact.Whenever any other animal would come by,he would charge out of the bush and stomp and rumble and swing his heavy head.Even the lions had to stay clear of him..! All the other Elephants of Sabi were tired of his bad temper but knew rather just to stay clear of him..

One day,Tambo was stomping through the savannah,kicking up dust and throwing it about so to even pester the little Ox-peckers that should of known better than to rest in this bull and pick at his ticks..Tambo came across a water-hole with cool waters sparkling in the hot sun.This water-hole was much needed by all the animals of Sabi,no matter how big or how small, for it was a long hot  dry season. "Ahh,a water-hole..just what i need.!" said Tambo, and he stomped over to its muddy banks swinging his trunk and scraping his long curved tusks on the parched ground. Impala's,who had gathered together for a chance to quench their thirst,had to suddenly scatter as this big bully of an Elephant arrived.. "Get out of my way.!" he trumpeted,and thundered right into the water,creating a big splash.And with that,he began to throw water all over himself and then slurp noisily as he drank the refreshing water. Another younger bull Elephant called Tuska,who had only one tusk,came up to the water-hole to quench his thirst,but Tambo charged out of the water at him."Get away,this is my water-hole.!". Poor Tuska could not challenge this bigger bull,for he was no match with just one tusk."Let us share this water-hole,there is plenty to go around for everyone." he pleaded. "No.!" replied Tambo,sternly."This is MY water-hole,i found it.!" Try as he might,Tuska was not allowed his drink and had to concede to the bully.

Word got to Matendi,the proud matriach of a herd of mostly female Elephants and their calves,of Tambo's brutish behaviour,for Tuska was her son,even though he had left the herd and gone out into the wide world. 'Surely this big bad tempered male could not deny the thirsty herd their chance to drink and wash',she thought. Eventually,at the head of the herd,Matendi reached the water-hole to find Tambo still there,hogging the water greedily. Matendi rached down to take a drink,and again,Tambo stomped and splashed at her."Get away,this is MY water-hole, i found it first.!"

"Surely,you cannot deny my fellow sisters and their children a drink from this water-hole,for the day is surely a hot one.?",Matendi said,as polite as she could be,yet trying not to give way to this big bad bully. "Yes i surely can..!" replied Tambo spitefully. "This water-hole is not big enough for all of you,..you will all drink it all up.!" In fact,there was more than enough water to last the animals through to the rainy season.

Tambo charged at Matendi,and threw water and mud at her. Matendi,even though she was a big female,could not challenge such an arrogant male.the biggest bull Elephant in all of Sabi.Who would protect her herd if he struck her a heavy blow.? Alas,Matendi led her herd away.. But an Elephant never forgets, and Matendi would never forget Tambo's nastiness. She would go and see the Mtwezigumba,the human Witch Doctor who lived in the old baobab tree on the edge of Sabi Sands,and who could speak to all of the animals..He would surely know what to to about Tambo,and he was also known to have magical powers that all the animals and all of the tribes people loved. When the sun was setting in the African sky,Matendi approached the old Baobab tree where the Witch Doctor lived. "Who is there.?" came an voice from within,laden with age and wisdom. "Matendi,matriach of the Nkorho Elephant herd,i have something i wish to ask of you,dear Mtwezigumba."

From out of a wide crack in the thick trunk of the baobab tree,appeared a small elderly man with skin the colour of ebony,and a cloak of earthen colours,woven from the foliage of many types of African trees and shrubs and scented with its flowers,holding a staff carved from the very tree he dwelled in. "How is it that i may help you,Matendi,my old freind.?"

Matendi relayed her story about her and her sons encounter with the greedy and selfish Tambo.At the end of her recount,Mtwezigumba sighed,and rested his old self, on an old hardened termite mound. "Hmmm,i have heard of this Tambo fellow from many other animals.of how much of an arrogant bully he is..Perhaps it is best that i should go pay him a visit.!"  Matendi thanked him,and returned to her herd.The Witch Doctor would pay Tambo a visit the next day..

Mtweziguma traveled along through the bush propped by his staff,along the way being greeted by animal and human alike,with warm affection. Eventually,he came to the water-hole to find Tambo there,spraying water from his trunk at a group of Vervet monkeys who had attempted to come for a drink. "Hallo Tambo, i have been told of your bad behaviour and of how it is that you are greedily taking this water-hole all for yourself." Tambo looked down at the old man by the water-hooles bank,and,for the shortest of moments,he actually felt a tinge of fear at seeing the Witch Doctor.But,so arrogant was he,that Tambo's attitude quickly hardened,foolishly thinking that this lowly little man could do little to him.After all,he was the biggest,baddest bull Elephant in all of Sabi Sands.! "Why do you not share this water-hole with the other animals,for it is a time when this water is needed by all?" asked the Witch Doctor.

"Because i found this water-hole,and it is all MINE!" replied Tambo,daringly. "I would not speak so selfishly,my dear fellow" said Mtwezigumba. Tambo shook his head and bellowed at the old man "Go away.!" With that,he sprayed water all over the Witch Doctor,knocking him down.. Mtwezigumba gripped his staff tightly in his long thin fingers and gathered himself to his feet.Incredibly,he held himself from casting a spell on Tambo right here and now,but planned to pay the big bull Elephant a punishment..

Night soon fell.Mtwezigumba was in his baobab tree,grinding up a potion,and knowing Tambo's greediness for fruits of the Marula,Mangosteen,Sausage and Jackalberry trees as much as his greediness for hogging the water-hole,he sprinkled the magical potion over the fruits that he had gathered."If Tambo wants to stay by the water-hole for as long as he likes,then he will stay by the water-hole forever more,but will not be able to drink or bathe from it again,and be powerless to stop the animals that he has denied."

Mtwezigumba crept out into the night,with such amazing stealth,that not even the white-tailed mongoose shuffling at the termite mound,noticed him passing. The Witch Doctor found Tambo dozing close to the water-hole,with his left front and back feet still in the water as if trying to hide it from others. As quiet as a mouse,Mtwezigumba lay the potion tainted friut in a line away from the waters edge,but still within gaze of the water-hole. Tambo's trunk twitched as he caught a scent of the succulent fruit,and he stirred his mighty bulk as the Witch Doctor hid in the bushes.

Tambo gathered to his feet and rather sleepily,began to scoff the fruits,not noticing that he was walking away from the water-hole he coveted. But,with each step became heavier until he could no longer move. With this,he awoke more clearly and began to fight as his entire body suddenly became rigid and still. "What is this.?" he trumpeted in alarmed,trying to swing his trunk. Roots broke out from the ground and wound their way around his thick legs,then his body,and his trunk.His grey wrinkled skin became darker brown and more furrowed.Leaves sprouted from his tusks,trunk and hide. Mtwezigumba then stepped out of the bushes and stood in front of Tambo. "What have you done to me,you stupid old man?" rumbled Tambo. "Even now you are still arrogant" replied the Witch Doctor. "You wanted to try and keep the water-hole for yourself,so now as punishment,you will now stand there for age upon age watching the animals that you denied to drink and bathe at the water-hole,.to do just that,while you will be powerless even to stop then from resting under your shade.."

With that,Ntwezigumba turned and left as Tambo's voice began to fade,and he was turned into a tree.

And for ages since,many animals and humans alike,have come to drin