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WIND IN THE RUSHES

by PHYLLIS OWEN

Ibala is a young and very graceful giraffe.  Her long neck and body is covered with white fur with brown patches.  She has thin legs, a firm round spotted stomach, a stiff mane, and a long tufted tail.  On the top of her head, close to her ears, are two short horns covered with skin and hair.

She lives with her mother and several other giraffes in a land between two ranges of mountains.  Because the land is shaped like a man’s big toe, the people who live there call it Izinzwani.  

It is covered with bush, acacia and clumps of other tall trees so there’s always plenty of leaves and twigs to eat and a river for drinking water. 

Everyone living there is very happy, including Ibala.  But on the evenings when the moon is large and full, her hooves itch to dance.  She longs to go to an open clearing near the river where the moonlight fills it with a strange glow.

She pleaded with her mother to allow her to go even for a short while, but her mother shook her head vigorously and said, ‘No, Ibala.  It’s far too dangerous.  Leo, the lion, king of the land, usually hides among the trees and he’s very fond of young giraffes.’

Ibala had never seen a lion before so she wasn’t frightened.  She felt sure her mother was making a big fuss about nothing.  But being a good giraffe, she did as she was told until, one evening, when the full moon was riding high in the sky, she could stand it no longer.  When she had eaten her fill of twigs and leaves Ibala heard a strange whispering sound, so faint she had to lean forward to listen.  It came from the direction of the river and she wondered what it could be?

She had heard it once or twice before but not quite so insistent.  Somehow, tonight, it seemed to beckon to her.

Looking around for her mother, she noticed that she had moved deeper into the shadows of the trees with the other giraffes.  In that moment Ibala forgot all about her mother’s warning.

Hurriedly, she made her way to the river stopping now and again to listen to the strange, whispering sound.  When she arrived, her heart nearly jumped out of her skin with joy as it came to her that the strange sound was the music of the wind as it hummed amongst the rushes that grew along the banks of the river.  The music vibrated all around her sending shivers up and down her long spine.

Eagerly, her eyes glowing with pleasure, she quivered as she began to sway to and fro in time to the music with all the grace of a ballet dancer.  As the wind became stronger the music quickened and she swung her neck from side to side, closing her eyes and letting out a low moan and a snort of sheer joy.

Just then, a ragged cloud sailed across the moon, and for a short while it bathed everything in darkness.  A nighthawk screamed a warning but Ibala did not hear it.  She was lost in the magic of the moment.

Leo the lion walked towards the river.  He felt grumpy and yawned noisily.  For two days he had not caught any food and he was hungry, very hungry.

Stopping, he sniffed at the air, his ears pricking up.  Stiffening with excitement, his heard pounding, he licked his lips.  With his stomach rumbling hungrily, he crouched low and crawled stealthily towards a swaying shadow.

When he came close to the riverbank he jerked to a halt and watched in amazement.  In the dim light he saw a young giraffe, her eyes closed, swaying gently to and fro.

With saliva dripping from his mouth, Leo gave a deep-throated growl of satisfaction and leapt forward.

At that moment, Ibala, coming to the end of her dance, stopped, splayed out her front legs, and dropped her long neck to the ground as if in a curtsy.

Because of her sudden ducking movement, Leo, instead of being able to sink his large teeth into her long neck, flew through the air over her, and fell with a thud to the ground, hitting his head on a stone.  In a daze, and with a roar like thunder, he leapt to his feet.

From fear, Ibala froze to the spot.  Then she heard the sound of galloping hooves, many hooves.

Leo, about to charge again, stopped when her mother rushed forward, followed by the rest of the herd.

Seeing he was outnumbered, he took fright and disappeared into the safety of the bushes.

Shaking with fear, Ibala slowly rose to her feet and stared into her mother’s large, sad eyes.  ‘You disobeyed me,’ was all she said.

Ibala felt bad for disobeying her mother.

But her mother was kind and wise.  She forgave Ibala when she realized how desperately she longed to dance in the moonlight and she pleaded with the other giraffes, young and old, to come to the river bank whenever the moon was full to watch Ibala dance.

At first they protested for giraffes were not known to be interested in dancing, but Ibala’s mother was very persuasive and soon they looked forward to the bright moonlit evenings to watch Ibala do her dance.

And to this day, if you should be in Izinzwani on a clear moonlit night, come to the bank of the river and you may see a giraffe, no longer young, swaying to and fro to the strange, whispering sound of the music of the wind in the rushes.

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