Monday, June 17, 2013

Rash and the mongoose.



      I didn’t realize the island had a zoo, so I was pretty excited. We all piled into Sawyer’s car and drove through the jungle. The ‘zoo’ turned out to be a clearing with several small cages containing four rabbits, a parrot, two turtles and a mongoose. In the yard roamed a handful of chickens, two goats and a scrawny peacock that had seen better days. The boys scrambled out and observed each animal with the intense interest one would usually devote to lions or giraffes. When they got to the mongoose Rash hurriedly walked around it, giving the cage a wide birth.
“Come on, Rash, the mongoose won’t hurt you.” Worm called out to him.
“No! You know I hate that thing.”
     He looked at me pleadingly, “I am not crazy, that thing is creepy, it sizes you up, like he’s gauging your worth. He’s a killer! Don’t go near him!”
He started shrieking as Sawyer and Worm grabbed him and dragged him toward the cage.
“You have to face your fears, Rash. It’s not good for you. He’s just a little, old, mongoose.”
Worm said convincingly.
“Besides he’s in a cage.” Sawyer added.
They dragged Rash to the cage.
“Look at how he’s looking at me with those yellow eyes! Look! Did you see that? That look of intelligence? He knows I hate him! He’s plotting! Let me go! Let me go!” He shrieked while he tried to claw over both Sawyer and Worm. They finally dropped him like a sack of potatoes and he ran off. I walked up to "the killer." .... I thought he looked kind of cute. He was curled in a ball and half asleep."Some killer!" I thought.

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