This day in the South Africa landscape a bird of not so common origin showed up at the water hole. Tiger Bjorn was down at the lake for a morning swim – well the water was extra clear this year, so he had started with a new habit, a swim a day kept the hunters away. Tiger Bjorn paddle forward to the bird to hear what news he may have bring from the other side of the world, or at least the other side of the lake. “Hi” said Tiger Bjorn, and swallowed some water and a frog. “KGh” was the last the frog said, Tiger Bjorn cough and draw itself up on land to a safer ground to have a chat with the lad (bird). Water was pouring of Tiger Bjorn hot body, and the bird only sat there looking bewilder at the big cat. Wonder what the bird was thinking, maybe he was counting the number of dry hair on the big Tiger Bjorn cat?
“So what good news do you bring?” asked Tiger Bjorn to the bird. The bird looked happy to say something smart, but was dragged down to the water of a passing by crocodile who was in need of a tooth pick – he got a cow stuck between two of his thee ts, and birds normally help out the hippos and croc’s with irritating insects, but here a bigger bird was needed. And there he was at the strand with the Tiger, so a quick snatch and the happy crocodile swim off with the bird in a steady grip. Tiger Bjorn looked like a big question mark – what on earth was that – the crocodile normally not come near him, they know he is pretty good at throwing a bowling ball far. The croc have in other adventures have been unfortunate to have a bowling ball hit hard on the head, when Tiger Bjorn missed the cones (some not standing still pelicans).
Tiger Bjorn raise and walked down the stream with a stead eye on the crocodile who float down the lakes, following the current. Tiger Bjorn was thinking he would love to have a ball here now, then he would have tossed it on the crocodiles head, so it released the bird. And then the bird could tell Tiger Bjorn the latest news. there where no television in the jungle or Savannah, so the news was best to get from birds who had a bird eye view of the world at large. Tiger Bjorn run to keep in peach with the floating crocodile. The crocodile was under the same time trying to tell the bird that he should clean his teeth then he would let him go for the day. But the bird was terrified to get his hair wet. He then was stiff as a dead rock. A rock does not move around a lot as you now. So this was more like a stand still, the bird not moving and the crocodile did not get what he wanted either. The crocodile moved it way up on the shore to have a explaining to the bird, but when he let the bird lose on the ground. The bird fell over, as a knocked out bowling cone. He was not dead, but still terrified of the close encounter with the big green lizard. He was certainly not from here, if he had not seen a crocodile before.
Tiger Bjorn was sneaking in closer to the couple, to see if he could get away with the bird or scare the crocodile away. But he did not have any hard bowling balls around today. So how do you scare away a crocodile? Sing a song for it? Step on its nose? Push it out to water? No they are to dangerous if you are that close to the crocodile it will eat you. So you have to act on distance. Poke it with a stick? that have to be a pretty long stick — any big long snakes laying around that could help him. A elephant of larger size could scare the crocodile away, or even a flock of elephants would make it move. but that would make the bird also move. “psst” Tiger Bjorn whispered to the bird, maybe he could get it to run out of there to him instead. The bird open one eye, thinking “here i am laying between a hungry giant lizard and hungry giant cat – what a morning!”. “Run over here and i can help you get away from the crocodile.” whispered Tiger Bjorn. The crocodile was at the same time mumbling that it needed help with his teeth to the bird, who now started to wake up and looked around, what to do?
So what options did he have:
- stay and understand what the friendly crocodile was trying to say
- run over to the cat to see what friendly things he got to offer
- try to play dead and hopefully they both will leave him allone
- try to fly away, but did he have the power for a quick jump and start to rise to high level, clear the sky of any danger
What do you think would be the best move?
Yes, option B, always good with plan B. The bird took a leap up and run over to the big cat, jump up on his shoulder and screamed “Bonanza away to new ground big fellow”. Tiger Bjorn raise and run off fast a torpedo to get some land between them and the green crocodile. In the shadows of a nice three, they stopped. Tiger Bjorn said “Good work, now please tell me the latest news of the world, and I let you go then.” The Bird was thinking, what news? He just escape a giant lizards grip, was that not the greatest news of all time, should be printed on the New York Times front page.
Tiger Bjorn showed his biggest smile – all his sharp teeth was white as they have been in a Colgate commercial. Now Tiger Bjorn did not use toothpaste – he used a very sharp stick to clean his teeth every day. Thinking he could at least flash a light of shine on his enemy in case of his big claws did not do the trick to fight them down. It is a hard life in the savanna (or jungle) you need to defend yourself to a lot of different predators. But now he was trying to be friendly to the bird. Big Bird fell almost over of the shine of white and was thinking he need to tell something or this white is the last he see. “From ashes to fire sort of thing” mumble the bird to himself. “Well, i fly in just today, and have not seen any remarkably here, but the other day i flew over a small creek with some hippos in it. I stayed there and heard from them that there had come a new fish to the pod. The hippo describe it as big and fast, with sharp tail fins, It swim very hard – but it was to big to get closer to the shore, so all animals only moved to swallow water to not get in its way. ” said the Bird happy to be of service to the big cat with very white teeth. “The hippos was not afraid of the big fish – normally no animal can attack a hippo – maybe a very large crocodile but then the hippo need to be ill. A hippo normally only sat down on the crocodile, so was the crocodile defeated and needed to flag a white handkerchief to give up. Hippos eat grass, so they always let the crocodile escape, if he did not resisted, and they then only sat there until the crocodile drowned. Not so nice, it polluted the lake.” Tiger Bjorn was wondering if he should move farther away from the hippos, he had not seem them as so dangerous as the bird describe them.
What fish can that be? A green giraffe that have got swimming lessons. That could be a nice story to tell about to grand children in the future. “Where was this hippo bay?” asked Tiger Bjorn friendly. “ught up drpoon asshi” said the Bird in frighten staggering words, he was thinking now is my last day. “?” said Tiger Bjorn more friendly as he could. “Up the river a few miles” said the Bird. “Good” said Tiger Bjorn and let the bird go. He have found a new day trip. Tiger Bjorn wake up early next day to be able to go far up before the heat of the day come, when you need to lay in shadows to survive.
After a easy walk up the creek, Tiger Bjorn, spotted a friend in the ground. The Ant Anders was wandering around. “Hi, what are you doing here?” said Tiger Bjorn to the Ant. The Ant looked up at the big cat smile.
“Hi man, only on a walk about to find new terrain for the farm.” said the happy Ant, “are you going farther , can i hitch a ride?”. “Yes, but do not make me itch.” said Tiger Bjorn. The Ant climbed onboard, and sat on top of one of Tiger Bjorn’s ears. So he could whisper to Tiger Bjorn what he saw from this point in life. “From here the water look blue and big like a leaking fountain pen in the writers desk.” said the Ant in a low voice to the Tiger Bjorn, who was walking in slow and quite hunting mode. In case the saw a big hippo in the grass close to the water. The ride was smooth and calm for the ant on top of the Tiger Bjorn´s head.
As Ant was telling about the day, they arrived at the bigger pound. Here the hippos where in plenty amount. They stopped and looked at the big masses of big animals.
Tiger Bjorn made himself visible and talked to a Hippo out in the water; ” Hi, my name is Bjorn, i heard there are a big fish her- have you heard about it?” . The hippo flipped his ears and turned a big mouth to the Tiger, thinking if he was a big eatable flower or just a stupid cat. “Hi there, you i have not seen before. No I have not seen any big fish here- but there where talk about it the next water pound.” said the hippo and flipped even more with his small ears to point that they should go a little farther up. “Oh,” said Tiger Bjorn, “how come you have so big teeth to be a grass eater?”. The Hippo said “You little cat, we have it to defend our self’s and our home, from intruders and dumb cats,” Tiger Bjorn smiled – he have not had a hippo friend – here was his chance. “What is your name then? ” said Tiger Bjorn. “Drome” said the Hippo, ” my name is Drome and i have been the big chief here for the last 5 years,” He moved his big body graceful in the water — so small waves splashed over the other hippos head. “Cool name ” said the cat, “I will check further after that fish, but maybe we can play a game of chess someday?” The Hippo Drome spin his hears and said in a dark voice “Whola, yes that could be fun. I will beat you any day.” Tiger Bjorn nodded to the Hippo Drome and walked past the hippos in the pound and was soon at the next big water area. A Big blue bulb of the river in the land.
More hippo facts here https://www.africa-wildlife-detective.com/hippopotamus.html
The Ant Anders and the Tiger Bjorn looked out over the water. The looked and looked to find any outstanding animal, but there where no giraffes laying on a air mattress and sipping coke. Or any animal at all to see — looks like this part of the lake was deserted. Strange the water looked clear and drinkable. “No fish here” said the Ant Anders with a sign. “Wait – we have only been here a short time” ,said Tiger Bjorn, ” we will wait more.” Ant sat down in the hair, and put on some sunglasses – there where going to be a long wait in the sun. There eyes gazed over the water. no sign until a big triangle that cut the lake shimmer in two. It moved fast – was it some Ants that where out and windsurfed in the water?
The fish was closer to shore, so Tiger Bjorn made a big jump to catch the fish. Could be good food. The Ant Anders jumped off Tiger Bjorn’s head saying “I stay on dry land!” and landed softly in a flower. Tiger Bjorn landed with all four pawns on the big fish — that was much bigger that Tiger Bjorn have tough. The fish swim fast in the water, and Tiger Bjorn have trouble to stay on top. He extended his sharp claws to get a grip. The fish – a blue shark – who by mistake had swum up the river in search for pray, was surprised by the heavy attach of the cat. This cat had not understand what old animal the shark was. A old animal from the dinosaurs time. Tiger Bjorn was on the other hand a modern predator, but he did not use a rifle today. The shark swim turn left and right to shake the cat off. Tiger Bjorn was slipping and feel he will loose the grip, so when close to shore he made a big air jump and landed on land. “Wow, that was a big fish – i did not catch it, maybe good i should not eat it all today” said Tiger Bjorn. Ant Anders was close by, he open a umbrella, to protect him from the shower that come, when Tiger Bjorn was shaking his water of the body. “Yes, that was a big animal – hopefully he will not come up on land.” said the Ant Anders and was worried how it would affect the ant farm. “Now let head home” said Tiger Bjorn and they walked back home.
Tiger Bjorn claws mad marks in the side of the fish, so it swim away. Far away out to the ocean and never come in to the close river or small water pounds anymore.
And this is why the Tiger Shark have streaks on the side.
That must have hurt, when the claw made the mark.
End of the story.