English
INthedayswheneverybodystartedfair,BestBeloved,theLeopardlivedinaplacecalledtheHighVeldt.
‘Memberitwasn’ttheLowVeldt,ortheBushVeldt,ortheSourVeldt,butthe‘sclusivelybare,hot,shinyHighVeldt,wheretherewassandandsandy-colouredrockand‘sclusivelytuftsofsandy-yellowishgrass.
TheGiraffeandtheZebraandtheElandandtheKoodooandtheHartebeestlivedthere;andtheywere‘sclusivelysandy-yellow-brownishallover;buttheLeopard,hewasthe‘sclusivestsandiest-yellowish-brownestofthemall—agreyish-yellowishcatty-shapedkindofbeast,andhematchedthe‘sclusivelyyellowish-greyish-brownishcolouroftheHighVeldttoonehair.
ThiswasverybadfortheGiraffeandtheZebraandtherestofthem;forhewouldliedownbya‘sclusivelyyellowish-greyish-brownishstoneorclumpofgrass,andwhentheGiraffeortheZebraortheElandortheKoodooortheBush-BuckortheBonte-Buckcamebyhewouldsurprisethemoutoftheirjumpsomelives.Hewouldindeed!
And,also,therewasanEthiopianwithbowsandarrows(a‘sclusivelygreyish-brownish-yellowishmanhewasthen),wholivedontheHighVeldtwiththeLeopard;andthetwousedtohunttogether—theEthiopianwithhisbowsandarrows,andtheLeopard‘sclusivelywithhisteethandclaws—tilltheGiraffeandtheElandandtheKoodooandtheQuaggaandalltherestofthemdidn’tknowwhichwaytojump,BestBeloved.
Theydidn’tindeed!
Afteralongtime—thingslivedforeversolonginthosedays—theylearnedtoavoidanythingthatlookedlikeaLeopardoranEthiopian;andbitbybit—theGiraffebeganit,becausehislegswerethelongest—theywentawayfromtheHighVeldt.
Theyscuttledfordaysanddaysanddaystilltheycametoagreatforest,‘sclusivelyfulloftreesandbushesandstripy,speckly,patchy-blatchyshadows,andtheretheyhid:andafteranotherlongtime,whatwithstandinghalfintheshadeandhalfoutofit,andwhatwiththeslippery-slidyshadowsofthetreesfallingonthem,theGiraffegrewblotchy,andtheZebragrewstripy,andtheElandandtheKoodoogrewdarker,withlittlewavygreylinesontheirbackslikebarkonatreetrunk;andso,thoughyoucouldhearthemandsmellthem,youcouldveryseldomseethem,andthenonlywhenyouknewpreciselywheretolook.
Theyhadabeautifultimeinthe‘sclusivelyspeckly-spicklyshadowsoftheforest,whiletheLeopardandtheEthiopianranaboutoverthe‘sclusivelygreyish-yellowish-reddishHighVeldtoutside,wonderingwherealltheirbreakfastsandtheirdinnersandtheirteashadgone.
Atlasttheyweresohungrythattheyateratsandbeetlesandrock-rabbits,theLeopardandtheEthiopian,andthentheyhadtheBigTummy-ache,bothtogether;andthentheymetBaviaan—thedog-headed,barkingBaboon,whoisQuitetheWisestAnimalinAllSouthAfrica.
SaidLeopardtoBaviaan(anditwasaveryhotday),‘Wherehasallthegamegone?’
AndBaviaanwinked.Heknew.
SaidtheEthiopiantoBaviaan,‘CanyoutellmethepresenthabitatoftheaboriginalFauna?’(Thatmeantjustthesamething,buttheEthiopianalwaysusedlongwords.Hewasagrown-up.)
AndBaviaanwinked.Heknew.
ThensaidBaviaan,‘Thegamehasgoneintootherspots;andmyadvicetoyou,Leopard,istogointootherspotsassoonasyoucan.’
AndtheEthiopiansaid,‘Thatisallveryfine,butIwishtoknowwhithertheaboriginalFaunahasmigrated.’
ThensaidBaviaan,‘TheaboriginalFaunahasjoinedtheaboriginalFlorabecauseitwashightimeforachange;andmyadvicetoyou,Ethiopian,istochangeassoonasyoucan.’
ThatpuzzledtheLeopardandtheEthiopian,buttheysetofftolookfortheaboriginalFlora,andpresently,aftereversomanydays,theysawagreat,high,tallforestfulloftreetrunksall‘sclusivelyspeckledandsprottledandspottled,dottedandsplashedandslashedandhatchedandcross-hatchedwithshadows.
(Saythatquicklyaloud,andyouwillseehowveryshadowytheforestmusthavebeen.)
‘Whatisthis,’saidtheLeopard,‘thatisso‘sclusivelydark,andyetsofulloflittlepiecesoflight?’
‘Idon’tknow,saidtheEthiopian,‘butitoughttobetheaboriginalFlora.IcansmellGiraffe,andIcanhearGiraffe,butIcan’tseeGiraffe.’
‘That’scurious,’saidtheLeopard.‘Isupposeitisbecausewehavejustcomeinoutofthesunshine.IcansmellZebra,andIcanhearZebra,butIcan’tseeZebra.’
‘Waitabit,saidtheEthiopian.‘It’salongtimesincewe’vehunted‘em.Perhapswe’veforgottenwhattheywerelike.’
‘Fiddle!’saidtheLeopard.
‘IrememberthemperfectlyontheHighVeldt,especiallytheirmarrow-bones.
Giraffeisaboutseventeenfeethigh,ofa‘sclusivelyfulvousgolden-yellowfromheadtoheel;andZebraisaboutfourandahalffeethigh,ofa’sclusivelygrey-fawncolourfromheadtoheel.’
‘Umm,saidtheEthiopian,lookingintothespeckly-spicklyshadowsoftheaboriginalFlora-forest.‘Thentheyoughttoshowupinthisdarkplacelikeripebananasinasmokehouse.’
Buttheydidn’t.TheLeopardandtheEthiopianhuntedallday;andthoughtheycouldsmellthemandhearthem,theyneversawoneofthem.
‘Forgoodness’sake,’saidtheLeopardattea-time,‘letuswaittillitgetsdark.Thisdaylighthuntingisaperfectscandal.’
Sotheywaitedtilldark,andthentheLeopardheardsomethingbreathingsniffilyinthestarlightthatfellallstripythroughthebranches,andhejumpedatthenoise,anditsmeltlikeZebra,anditfeltlikeZebra,andwhenheknockeditdownitkickedlikeZebra,buthecouldn’tseeit.
Sohesaid,‘Bequiet,Oyoupersonwithoutanyform.
Iamgoingtositonyourheadtillmorning,becausethereissomethingaboutyouthatIdon’tunderstand.’
Presentlyheheardagruntandacrashandascramble,andtheEthiopiancalledout,‘I’vecaughtathingthatIcan’tsee.ItsmellslikeGiraffe,anditkickslikeGiraffe,butithasn’tanyform.’
‘Don’tyoutrustit,’saidtheLeopard.‘Sitonitsheadtillthemorning—sameasme.Theyhaven’tanyform—anyof‘em.’
Sotheysatdownonthemhardtillbrightmorning-time,andthenLeopardsaid,‘Whathaveyouatyourendofthetable,Brother?’
TheEthiopianscratchedhisheadandsaid,‘Itoughttobe‘sclusivelyarichfulvousorange-tawnyfromheadtoheel,anditoughttobeGiraffe;butitiscoveredalloverwithchestnutblotches.
Whathaveyouatyourendofthetable,Brother?’
AndtheLeopardscratchedhisheadandsaid,‘Itoughttobe‘sclusivelyadelicategreyish-fawn,anditoughttobeZebra;butitiscoveredalloverwithblackandpurplestripes.
Whatintheworldhaveyoubeendoingtoyourself,Zebra?
Don’tyouknowthatifyouwereontheHighVeldtIcouldseeyoutenmilesoff?Youhaven’tanyform.’
‘Yes,’saidtheZebra,‘butthisisn’ttheHighVeldt.Can’tyousee?’
‘Icannow,’saidtheLeopard.‘ButIcouldn’tallyesterday.Howisitdone?’
‘Letusup,’saidtheZebra,‘andwewillshowyou.
TheylettheZebraandtheGiraffegetup;andZebramovedawaytosomelittlethorn-busheswherethesunlightfellallstripy,andGiraffemovedofftosometallishtreeswheretheshadowsfellallblotchy.
‘Nowwatch,’saidtheZebraandtheGiraffe.‘Thisisthewayit’sdone.One—two—three!Andwhere’syourbreakfast?’
Leopardstared,andEthiopianstared,butalltheycouldseewerestripyshadowsandblotchedshadowsintheforest,butneverasignofZebraandGiraffe.
Theyhadjustwalkedoffandhiddenthemselvesintheshadowyforest.
‘Hi!Hi!’saidtheEthiopian.‘That’satrickworthlearning.Takealessonbyit,Leopard.Youshowupinthisdarkplacelikeabarofsoapinacoal-scuttle.’
‘Ho!Ho!’saidtheLeopard.‘Woulditsurpriseyouverymuchtoknowthatyoushowupinthisdarkplacelikeamustard-plasteronasackofcoals?’
‘Well,callingnameswon’tcatchdinner,saidtheEthiopian.
‘Thelongandthelittleofitisthatwedon’tmatchourbackgrounds.I’mgoingtotakeBaviaan’sadvice.
HetoldmeIoughttochange;andasI’venothingtochangeexceptmyskinI’mgoingtochangethat.’
‘Whatto?’saidtheLeopard,tremendouslyexcited.
‘Toaniceworkingblackish-brownishcolour,withalittlepurpleinit,andtouchesofslaty-blue.Itwillbetheverythingforhidinginhollowsandbehindtrees.’
Sohechangedhisskinthenandthere,andtheLeopardwasmoreexcitedthanever;hehadneverseenamanchangehisskinbefore.
‘Butwhataboutme?’hesaid,whentheEthiopianhadworkedhislastlittlefingerintohisfinenewblackskin.
‘YoutakeBaviaan’sadvicetoo.Hetoldyoutogointospots.’
‘SoIdid,’saidtheLeopard.IwentintootherspotsasfastasIcould.Iwentintothisspotwithyou,andalotofgoodithasdoneme.’
‘Oh,’saidtheEthiopian,‘Baviaandidn’tmeanspotsinSouthAfrica.Hemeantspotsonyourskin.’
‘What’stheuseofthat?’saidtheLeopard.
‘ThinkofGiraffe,’saidtheEthiopian.‘Orifyoupreferstripes,thinkofZebra.Theyfindtheirspotsandstripesgivethemper-fectsatisfaction.’
‘Umm,’saidtheLeopard.‘Iwouldn’tlooklikeZebra—notforeverso.’
‘Well,makeupyourmind,’saidtheEthiopian,‘becauseI’dhatetogohuntingwithoutyou,butImustifyouinsistonlookinglikeasun-floweragainstatarredfence.’
‘I’lltakespots,then,’saidtheLeopard;‘butdon’tmake‘emtoovulgar-big.Iwouldn’tlooklikeGiraffe—notforeverso.’
‘I’llmake‘emwiththetipsofmyfingers,’saidtheEthiopian.‘There’splentyofblackleftonmyskinstill.Standover!’
ThentheEthiopianputhisfivefingersclosetogether(therewasplentyofblackleftonhisnewskinstill)andpressedthemallovertheLeopard,andwhereverthefivefingerstouchedtheyleftfivelittleblackmarks,allclosetogether.
YoucanseethemonanyLeopard’sskinyoulike,BestBeloved.
Sometimesthefingersslippedandthemarksgotalittleblurred;butifyoulookcloselyatanyLeopardnowyouwillseethattherearealwaysfivespots—offfivefatblackfinger-tips.
‘Nowyouareabeauty!’saidtheEthiopian.
‘Youcanlieoutonthebaregroundandlooklikeaheapofpebbles.
Youcanlieoutonthenakedrocksandlooklikeapieceofpudding-stone.
Youcanlieoutonaleafybranchandlooklikesunshinesiftingthroughtheleaves;andyoucanlierightacrossthecentreofapathandlooklikenothinginparticular.Thinkofthatandpurr!’
‘ButifI’mallthis,’saidtheLeopard,‘whydidn’tyougospottytoo?’
‘Oh,plainblack’sbestforme,’saidtheEthiopian.‘Nowcomealongandwe’llseeifwecan’tgetevenwithMr.One-Two-Three-Where’s-your-Breakfast!’
Sotheywentawayandlivedhappilyeverafterward,BestBeloved.Thatisall.
Oh,nowandthenyouwillheargrown-upssay,‘CantheEthiopianchangehisskinortheLeopardhisspots?’
Idon’tthinkevengrown-upswouldkeeponsayingsuchasillythingiftheLeopardandtheEthiopianhadn’tdoneitonce—doyou?
Buttheywillneverdoitagain,BestBeloved.Theyarequitecontentedastheyare.
Share this article to
FINISH