THE BAOBAB TREE

Femi was a powerful young chimpanzee who lived in the heat of the Congo. His closest friend was Titus, a boa constrictor. Femi and Titus loved to meander in the Ituri forest, for it was vast and deep green, and vibrant with life. And it was cool.

One day, Femi noticed a vulture circling in the sky.

‘That’s Igor,’ he said.

‘He’s after food,’ said Titus.

A little later, a movement in a baobab tree caught Femi’s eye. ‘What’s that?’ he said. But Titus had wandered away.

Climbing the tree, Femi could see a nest, but it was obscured. He brushed away several twigs, and peered in. It was dark, but gradually a pink face with frizzy white fur emerged from the gloom.

‘You’re not a baby bird, are you?’ he whispered. ‘You’re a baby chimpanzee.’

The baby was alone. Femi would have to rescue it. He scooped up the baby and nest, scrambled down the tree, and made for home. It was not long before he arrived.

‘Mum. Look! I found a baby chimpanzee.’

Femi’s mother looked into an empty nest.

‘A baby chimpanzee, Femi? All you’ve got is a rickety old nest. You’d better go and find it.’

THE SEARCH

Femi could not believe that he had lost the baby chimpanzee. How was he to remember which trees he had climbed? It was a forest! The baby wouldn’t be in the trees anyway. It would be down on the forest floor. He would have to go on foot.

As he was crossing the Gombi stream, he saw an ant lumping a leaf over a tree stump.

‘Akka! Seen a baby chimpanzee anywhere about?’

‘No. Why? Have you lost one?’

‘Yes,’ said Femi. ‘I was giving it a ride, and it must have fallen off. Now I can’t find it!’

‘Well, good luck!’ said Akka.

‘Thanks,’ said Femi. A tear formed in his eye. He looked on both sides of the trail, under exposed tree roots, and even under shrubs. There was no sign of the baby.

As he neared the baobab tree, he heard a fluttering. He looked up. It was Igor the vulture again. But this time, he was clasping something white and fluffy in his talons. It was the baby!

Femi called out as loudly as he could.

‘Igor, come back! That’s mine! It’s my baby chimpanzee, not yours. You leave it alone. Come back now. Come back!’

IGOR THE VULTURE

Igor, though intent on flight, suddenly turned tail feathers and glided back towards Femi. He took to ground nearby and looked angrily at Femi.

‘What do you mean, it’s yours? I found it, and I’m keeping it. I’m starving!’

‘It’s mine, I tell you,’ said Femi. ‘I found it in the tree all by itself, so I rescued it. But when I got home, it had gone. It must’ve fallen out of its nest. Or maybe you took it. Did you take it, Igor?’

‘I did not! I found it under a baobab tree. That one over there,’ said Igor.

The baby was beginning to screech.

‘Igor. You’re gripping the baby too tightly. You’re hurting it. Let go.’

Igor glared at Femi.

‘You just want to take it. I don’t trust you, you spindly chimpanzee.’ The baby’s screeching was getting louder and louder.

‘Stop it, Igor. Let go. I won’t come near it.’

Igor looked carefully at Femi, and reluctantly released the baby chimpanzee. It immediately calmed down.

‘You see, Igor. I told you.’

‘I don’t care what you told me. And I don’t care about the baby. I’m hungry, and I’m going. And I’m taking my dinner with me.’

TITUS SHOWS HIS METTLE

An ominous hissing came from somewhere, and a gigantic snake burst into view. It was Titus.

‘Oh, no, you’re not, Igor. You’re going to give that baby chimpanzee back to Femi. And you’re going to push off and find yourself something else to eat. Otherwise, I’m going to do something you won’t forget.’

‘You don’t frighten me,’ said Igor. But his hackles were rising, and he was looking twitchy all of a sudden.

‘I’ve crushed bigger and fiercer vultures than you’, said Titus. ‘I’ll tell you what. I’m a fair-minded constrictor. You leave that baby with Femi, and I’ll help you to find a nice juicy piece of meat. How about that?’

The vulture thought about that at length. ‘Are you sure?’ he said.

‘Of course I’m sure,’ said Titus. ‘I’m a boa constrictor of my word.’

Igor, who knew that snakes could sometimes find tasty morsels, made his decision. ‘All right.’ He looked at Femi. ‘The baby is yours. And now, constrictor, you’ve got to help me find some food. I am so hungry, my fangs are dripping.’

Femi couldn’t believe his ears. He dashed over to the baby chimpanzee, gathered it under his arm, and headed for home.

FEMI PUTS THINGS RIGHT

‘Mum! Mum! I found the baby. Look!’

His mother was waiting. ‘That’s not a baby chimpanzee. It’s white. And it’s got a pink face. It’s a colobus monkey!’

‘It’s for you, Mum.’

‘I can’t just take someone’s baby. It’s not mine!’

‘But you said you wanted one.’ The baby belched.

‘Not someone else’s. You’ve got to take it back. And don’t forget the nest.’

‘Oh, Mum’ said Femi.

‘You’d better take this too. It’s a Mango i-Beacon. It flashes and squeaks. The baby’s parents will see it, and know it’s come back.’

‘What a lot of fuss, Mum!’

Before leaving, Femi had a drink of guava juice, and Mum gave the fluffy bundle a drink of coconut milk.

‘Off you go, then, Femi.’

Taking the baby, Femi flew through the forest and placed the baby and nest back on its branch. The baby was asleep. Femi climbed the tree, secured the i-Beacon to its uppermost branch, set it to ‘Flash and Gobble’, and climbed down.

Titus was waiting for him.

‘You’ve brought it back, me old mate! Good. You can’t just take a baby that’s not yours, can you!’

Femi grunted. ‘Have you been talking to my mum?’ he said.

The end.