兒童英語讀物《神奇樹屋》第十九冊 Tigers at Twilight 06 Swamp Creatures!
Caw! Caw!
Awk! Awic! Awk!
Jack slowly came out of his dream. He opened hiseyes with a start.
He was surrounded by hazy sunlight.
Where am I? he thought in a panic.
Then he remembered--he was in India, on anelephant's back!
He sat up. Through the haze, he saw that Saba wasstanding on a muddy stream bank.
Jack yawned. Where was Annie?
The other elephants were upstream. They sprayedwater on each other with their trunks.
Teddy, Kah, and Ko were at the edge of the forest.
Teddy sniffed the tall grass. The langurs ate flowers.
"Good morning!" called Annie.
She was sitting on a big black rock down-stream.
She was barefoot and soaking wet.
"Hi," said Jack. "How did you get down?""Teddy and I slid off Saba into the mud," saidAnnie. 'Try it. But throw down your sneakers andbackpack first."Annie went to Saba's side. Her feet were buried inmud up to her ankles.
Jack threw his things to Annie. Then he pattedSaba's rough, wrinkled skin.
"Thanks for the ride," he said softly.
The elephant touched him one last time with hertrunk.
Jack slid down her side--feet first--and fell into themud. He caught himself with his hands. They sankinto the mud past his wrists. His glasses werespattered, too.
"Wash off in the stream," Annie said.
She put Jack's pack and shoes on the rock whileJack waded into the cool water.
13He washed the mud off his hands and feet. Herinsed off his glasses. Then he looked around.
Saba had joined the rest of the herd. The elephantslooked beautiful in the morning mist.
Everything looked beautiful.
Yellow and blue water birds spread their wings.
Mossy hanging vines swayed in the breeze. Hugewhite flowers floated on top of the stream.
Then Jack saw a strange sight. It looked like a hornand two ears sticking out of the water. One earflicked away a fly.
"There's a weird creature out here," he called toAnnie. "It looks like it has a horn."Annie waded into the stream.
"I better check the book," said Jack.
He hurried to his pack, wiping his wet hands on hisT-shirt. He pulled out the India book.
There was a picture of a horn sticking out of thewater. He read:
The one-horned rhinoceros, or "rhino," washes in aforest stream. Rhinos are not usually dangerous. Butbecause they do not see well, they sometimes chargeat things by mistake. A loud noise will usually stopthem.
Jack felt sorry for the rhinos. Too bad animals can'twear glasses, he thought. He read more:
The Indian rhino is a very endangered animal. Thismeans that there are not many left. People calledpoachers kill them and sell their body parts asmedicine and good-luck charms.
Jack started to take out his notebook.
Just then, a slurpy, sloshing sound came from thewater.
"Whoa!" said Annie.
Jack looked up.
The rhino rose from the stream. He looked like anancient swamp creature.
"Oh, man!" said Jack.
The rhino peered at Annie with his tiny eyes.
Then he snorted and lowered his head. His hornpointed right at Annie.
"Make a loud noise!" Jack yelled.
Annie clapped her hands and shouted, "We come inpeace!"The rhino stopped. He grunted. Then he sank backinto the water.
Annie laughed.
"Whew," said Jack. "I better take some notes aboutthat big guy." Arf! Arf! Teddy barked from the edge of the forest.
"And I better get Teddy," said Annie.
She hurried out of the stream and ran to get thedog. Jack pulled out his notebook and wrote:
One horned rhinoAn endangered animal needs glasses"Jack!" shouted Annie. She was racing toward him,with Teddy at her heels. "Come quick!""What's wrong?" he said.
"We found something terrible!" Annie was close totears. "Really terrible!"
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