Saving the Zoo Babies-Childrens Story Land

Ricky Squirrel loved to go to the King’s Zoo to watch the monkeys. One Saturday morning he sat on a tree limb, munching on peanuts and laughing at the monkeys playing tag.

He smelled a whiff of smoke and when he looked around for the source, he saw flames coming from the mountainside behind the zoo. Clouds of smoke billowed from the forest fire as the north wind blew it toward the zoo.

Ricky leapt from the tree limp and rushed toward the nursery pen. “You have to leave!” he cried as he came to the fence. “There’s a fire hurtling down the mountain right for the zoo.”

The babies panicked, pushing and climbing over each other.

“Hurry, hurry!” Ricky yelled.

“We need help,” Lily the baby elephant said. “We keep going around in circles.”

Ricky threw the gate open and took charge, leading them away from the fire.

“Stay close to me,” Ricky said. “Follow me.”

“I want my Mommy,” Lily cried out.

Ricky could hear all the babies crying behind him, but he kept going.

“I can’t walk fast,” Barney the hippo said.

“Sure you can, Barney,” Sadie the giraffe said. “Just watch my legs and you’ll be alright.”

“My legs are so short I have to take a lot of steps to your one.”

“Barney Baby, we love you,” Sadie said. “We’re not going to leave you behind.”

Barney sniffed and said, “Thanks, Sadie.”

Ricky had to slow down because the babies were falling behind. He sat on a large rock to watch them on the trail.

A monkey swung down from a nearby tree. “Got a problem, friend?”

“No, it’s not me. It’s those little ones just coming into view. Who are you?”

“My name is Spanky. I haven’t seen you at the zoo before.”

“I usually don’t hang around very long,” Ricky said. “But today there’s a fire on the mountain so I thought I had better get the babies out of there.”

“What do you do with your long tail?” Spanky asked.

“It keeps me from falling from whatever I’m climbing,” Ricky said.

“What’s your name?”

“Ricky, it was my dad’s name.”

“I’m named for my uncle, how about that?”

“Here come the kids so I’d better get moving.”

“See ya around, Ricky.”

“Sure thing.” Ricky scrambled down to the little ones coming along the trail. “How are you kids doing?”

“We’re all tired,” Barney said. “Can we have a nap?”

“Nap?” Ricky looked back at the mountain and saw the fire covering the whole mountainside. “Sit down for five minutes and then we’ll have to move on.”

“Ricky!” Spanky called out. “They might be safer up here.”

“Thanks for the thought, Spanky, but they have the wrong type bodies to climb trees.”

“That’s too bad, my friend. I’ll go and talk to my mom, she’ll think of something for them.”

“You’re a good friend, Spanky.” Ricky looked at the babies and they had fallen asleep on their feet. He didn’t have the heart to wake them just yet.

Chapter 2

Spanky and his mom, Brazilla, arrived to see Ricky and the babies asleep.

“Ricky, wake up,” Spanky said. “My mum’s here.”

Ricky yawned and stretched. “I’m sorry about that, Spanky.”

“Why do you look so red?” Brazilla asked Ricky.

“I’ve always looked this way. I’m a red squirrel.” Ricky turned to Spanky. “Are you going to introduce me to your mom?”

“My mom’s name is Brazilla.”

“Hi, Brazilla. I hope we’re not bothering you too much.”

“No, you’re not, but I’m concerned about these young ones. Have you fed them this morning?”

“Fed them? No, I haven’t even thought about that.”

“Okay, you and Spanky go find leaves for the little giraffe and the elephant and we need to get the young hippo into some water.”

“Okay, Mom,” Spanky said. “I’ll look for water while we’re looking for leaves.”

It took a long time to find enough young leaves for the babies. Ricky was high in a tree when he saw a lake to his right. “There’s water right over that way,” Ricky called out to Spanky. “But it’ll be a long walk for the little ones.”

“My mom will help get them moving,” Spanky said as they ran with the leaves.

“Good, you’re back,” Brazilla said. “What did you find?”

“Just what you asked for, Mom.” The two boys showed her all the tender leaves.

She took them from Ricky and Spanky and divided them between Sadie and Lily. Barney was already munching grass around his feet. Brazilla could see the difference in them after they began to eat.

“Kids, we have a long walk to a lake,” Brazilla said. “So let’s get going,”

Ricky watched Sadie, Barney, and Lily get in motion for the walk; it bought a smile to his face.

“Ricky, these kids are good,” Brazilla said. “If you had Spanky with

you when he was their age, he would have been everywhere. He made me so nervous watching him swinging from tree to tree. Thank goodness he had a lot of older cousins to help him.”

The heat of the day was getting to everyone, but at last, the lake came into view.

Barney and Lily rushed to the water and plunged in making a big splash. At the edge, Sadie spread her legs so that she could bend down to have a long drink. Spanky stood nearby taking in every sight and screeching his excitement.

“Spanky, are you all right?” Ricky asked.

“Sure, I’m good. I wish I was like them, splashing around in the water. It looks like fun.”

“Why don’t you go in?”

“Monkey’s just drink at the water’s edge, we never get in.”

“I’m the same way,” Ricky said. “I never touch water unless I’m drinking it or it rains.”

“I was sitting in my mother’s lap one day when it rained very hard. You should have seen how we looked with our fur hanging down our faces. I had to chuckle to myself that day.”

“Why not out loud?” Ricky asked.

“Ricky, where are you taking the babies?” Brazilla asked.

Spanky turned around when he heard his Mum’s voice, wondering if she’d overheard him.

“I think we could stay here,” Ricky said.

“Get them under the trees, out of the sun, please.”

“Mom, why don’t we take them home with us?”

“I’ve been thinking about the same thing. I wonder how your dad will take to them.”

“If he’s in a good mood, he’ll be okay.”

“Spanky, run home and see how he is today.”

“Okay, Mom. I won’t take very long.”

Spanky screeched all the way home, so that his Dad would know he was coming.

Chapter 3

“I heard all that screeching, Son,” Spanky’s father said when the little monkey came running home. “What’s the problem?”

“Mom and I found some baby animals running from the fire.”

“What fire?” his dad asked, and then he turned and yelled, “Everyone listen up, there’s a fire.”

All of Spanky’s relatives jumped up when heard the word, “Fire”.

“Where’s the fire, Son?”

“It’s on the mountain and coming all the way down the side of it.”

“If it’s all the way over there, we don’t have to worry about it. It’s okay, everyone, the fire’s on the mountain.”

They all settled back to grooming each other.

“Dad, Mom and I have been thinking about bringing the babies here to stay with us.”

“Why would she do that?”

“Because they have nowhere else to go.”

“Oh, that’s a little different. I guess we can try it out.”

Spanky rushed into his dad’s arms to hug and kiss him with his thanks.

“That’s enough of this silly stuff you’re doing to me.”

“Love you, Dad.”

Brazillo, Spanky’s dad, made noises at him for all of his lovey talk.

Spanky left his dad, running toward the lake.

“Okay, Mom,” Spanky said. He was out of breath from running and swinging through the trees.

“Sit down, Spanky. and catch your breath. Was he in a good mood?”

“He was and when I told him they are babies with nowhere to live he melted and said okay.”

“Ricky, are the kids ready to move?”

“I thought we’re staying here?”

“Good news, you can come home with us. You’ll be safer there.”

Ricky nearly had to drag the babies out from under the trees; they were dosing again.

“Come on, Babies, we have somewhere that’s safer for you.”

“What about my lake?” Barney hippo asked. “I haven’t had enough of it yet?”

“Okay, Barney” Ricky said. “Let me ask about water for you.”

Ricky ran over to Brazilla and asked her about water for Barney.

“There’s a running spring where we live and he can stand in that.”

“Brazilla, do you use the spring water for drinking?”

“We do, Ricky. Why?”

“When Barney stands in water for a long time, who knows what he does in the water, if you get my meaning.”

Brazilla’s imagination worked for a minute as she thought about Barney wallowing in their spring-fed water.

“I never thought of that. Oh, dear. Now what do we do?”

“I think we should stay right here,” Ricky said.

“At least until we come up with a better idea,” Brazilla said.

Ricky went flying through the trees to his baby friends. Flying feels really good, Ricky thought.

“We’re staying here,” Ricky said when he got to the babies. “And maybe the fire will stop soon.”

“Thanks, Ricky,” Sadie said. “We like it here because Barney has water and we have fresh food.”

Chapter 4

Two days into their stay among the trees, Ricky walked to the road to see if the fire was still raging.

There were no flames coming down the mountain and the birds were flying over it again.

“Hey, everyone,” Ricky said. “I have news for you.”

“What could it be?” Sadie asked.

“You can go home.”

“You mean I can see my mommy?”

“Yes, Barney, you can see your mommy.”

Sadie had tears in her eyes. “Thank you, Ricky.”

Lily came over to Ricky and wrapped her trunk around him. “Here, Ricky. Jump on my trunk and I’ll give you a ride.”

She took him around and around the trees.

“Thanks, Lily,” Ricky said.

She raised her trunk to let out a bellow.

During the day, Barney slipped into the lake, enjoying every minute. Sadie and Lily enjoyed all the leaves they could eat.

“It’s like having a goody bag all the time,” Lily said.

“Your right about that Lily,” Sadie said.

*****

The next morning Ricky heard the sound of a motor; something was coming along the road. He dashed out to see what it was and there he saw three open trucks closing in. And then he noticed Brazilla and Spanky watching them as well.

As the trucks slowed down at the opening of trees, one of the drivers spotted Barney in the lake.

What am I going to do now? Ricky wondered.

Brazilla went to Ricky’s side when she saw the trucks stop. “You know they’re here to take the babies home.”

“No, I don’t know that. They could be bad people.”

“Come and look at the name on the trucks.”

Ricky read the name, “The King Zoo. I guess this is a good thing,

Brazilla.”

“It is, Ricky, and I know you’re going to miss them.”

Ricky heard Barney, Sadie and Lily calling his name as they were herded into the trucks. He ran over to them and jumped into the truck.

“I want to thank you,” Lily said. “And ask you to please come and see us at the zoo.”

“That goes for us as well, Ricky,” Sadie and Barney yelled from the second truck.

“Bye, guys. Remember, I love you.”

He stood on the grassy bank and waved to the babies until they were out of sight.

“Would you like to come home with Spanky and me?” Brazilla asked.

“Oh! Yes, please, Brazilla. I’m already feeling lonely.”