The African Unicorns & The Baddie Baboons

Dive into a magical mystery with the Curious Cousins in The African Unicorn & the Baddy Baboons. Meet Emilia Rose, Isla Mae, and Audrey Jane - three daring cousins who leap into their dream world to chase down the elusive 'African Unicorn'.

In this enchanting adventure, the Curious Cousins team up with an unforgettable South African cast: a majestic acacia tree, a lightning-fast butterfly, a dazzling blue-headed lizard, a thundering herd of zebras and ostriches, a gentle giraffe and her calf, cranky Professor Crane and sweet Mrs. Crane, rowdy baboons with wild kids, a no-nonsense rhinoceros, and a sassy oxpecker bird who's a security guard. Together, they unravel the Legend of the African Unicorn and reveal the astonishing truth.

Transcript

The Unicorn Book Opening Credits The African Unicorns and the Baddie Baboons Book 2 in the series The Dreamlife Adventures of the Curious Cousins Written and narrated by the author Debra Forge Chapter 1 The African Unicorn Just that very day,

The Curious Cousins had heard a rumor that a unicorn had been seen under an acacia tree in Southern Africa.

A unicorn in Africa?

That's a riddle,

A mystery,

A challenge,

Cried Isla Mae,

Who loved both unicorns and puzzles.

She was somewhat of an expert on unicorns,

Having just been to a birthday party and ridden on a pony that had a unicorn horn attached to its forehead.

It was a beautiful,

Warm summer evening in Calgary.

The Curious Cousins were playing hopscotch on the sidewalk with the slow dusk.

They knew that it was almost time to go inside.

Surely,

Emilia Rose and Isla Mae's mommy had said that it was hair-washing night.

Audrey Jane,

Who lived next door,

Was waiting for her mommy Kelsey to call her in too.

You know,

Emilia Rose said as they were sitting on the stoop and setting up for another round of hopscotch,

We could go and get a closer look at this African unicorn tonight.

What do you guys think?

Now,

These Curious Cousins could go anywhere in their dreams together.

They could meet up after they had gone to sleep,

And in their dream life,

Explore and experience the world together.

They could go just about anywhere,

And do just about anything.

It was as simple as choosing to be together in their dream life.

Deciding what they wanted to explore,

And poof!

Magically,

They were there.

No bedtime shenanigans tonight,

Said Audrey Jane,

Mentally adding the word to her favorite word list.

The Three Cousins agreed that they would quickly get ready for bed that night,

Even though they were usually the masters of bedtime delay tactics.

That night,

They would get to sleep as fast as possible,

And in their dream life,

Meet up in Africa.

It was only their second time going to Africa.

They'd been there for their African elephant expedition,

And could hardly wait to go again.

A unicorn under a tree?

Whatever would be next?

Next door,

Audrey Jane was being tucked into her bed,

Having a last cuddle while her dad Adam whispered,

Good night,

My love.

In their home,

Emilia Rose and Isla Mae were settling down,

Saying their bedtime chant with their dad Joel,

Who gently said,

Good night,

My loves,

As he closed the door.

Much to both dads' relief,

The Cousins fell asleep immediately.

These children were ready to go on another African dream life adventure.

Chapter 2.

Been Around Bushmen In a flash,

The curious Cousins landed back in Southern Africa.

They plopped down on their bottoms and,

Looking around,

Stood up to dust themselves off.

I'd forgotten how dusty this part of Africa is,

Coughed Emilia Rose.

They were getting their bearings,

And realized that they were inside the entrance of a large cave.

They peered into the blackness,

And as their eyes adjusted to the darkness,

They could see the drawings on the cave walls.

Exciting scenes of antelope leaping across the sky,

With brave hunters in hot pursuit,

And a feast around a campfire.

I learned about this at school,

Said Emilia Rose.

This must be a Bushmen cave.

They are ancient people from the Stone Age who lived in extended families called clans.

They painted on the walls to show the story of their lives.

Oh,

Thanks,

Emilia Rose,

Said Audrey Jane.

I didn't know that clan was the word for family.

That's a new word for my favorite word list.

As the children walked deeper into the cave to get a better look,

Audrey Jane said,

I wish I could do that.

The last time I drew on the walls of my bedroom,

I got into lots of trouble with Mummy and Daddy.

Maybe that's because I was using Daddy's permanent marker,

But these drawings are amazing.

That's an earlant,

Said Emilia Rose,

Remembering her teacher's lesson.

I recognize it because it's the world's largest antelope,

Taller than our dad's with big twisted horns.

Isla Mae was getting restless.

She looked outside the cave,

Could see the sun just rising over the mountains.

She remembered that in this part of Africa near the equator,

There is only a very short dawn or dusk.

Night and day come very quickly with very little twilight.

She wanted to get on and get going with this African unicorn expedition.

The children moved outside of the cave,

Looked out at the vast landscape,

Which in Southern Africa is mostly called the bush felt or the felt.

As far as the eye could see,

There were rolling hills,

Large trees standing on their own,

And clumps of straggly bushes dotting the landscape.

Which way to go?

Which tree to ask?

This was going to be a challenge.

Let's ask a creature,

Said Emilia Rose.

We did that last time we were in Africa on our African elephant expedition.

It was fun.

We learned a lot.

Everyone was very helpful.

Isla Mae let out a huge,

Impatient sigh.

Okay,

Fine.

Let's ask.

Surely someone will have heard about something as magical as a unicorn.

Chapter 3 Breakneck Butterfly Just then,

A big emperor butterfly landed on a rock outside the cave.

It settled down smoothly,

Quivering its huge black wings,

Which looked bigger than the palms of two children's hands put together.

Surely this impressive butterfly with two very,

Very large wings and two very beautiful long tails would know a thing or two about the toing and froing of the bush belts.

Mr.

Butterfly,

Sir,

Said Isla Mae.

We're looking for a unicorn.

We heard that it recently had been seen under an acacia tree here in Africa.

Have you seen it?

What's a unicorn?

Asked the butterfly.

This butterfly had a very nasal voice that sounded as if his nose was all congested and plugged up.

The curious cousins looked at each other surprised.

They certainly hadn't expected anyone to not know what a unicorn was.

It's a creature about the size of a pony with a curly mane that is usually rainbow-colored,

Explained Isla Mae,

Her heart dropping.

If this butterfly didn't know what a unicorn was,

Was there any hope of finding it in the vast African landscape?

Oh,

Nope,

Nope.

I haven't seen a unicorn.

He thought to himself,

What does a unicorn even look like?

This butterfly was a show-off,

And he didn't like to admit that he didn't know everything.

Come to think of it,

He fainted at the watering hole last night.

I believe I heard the tortoise mention it.

I didn't pay much attention because this tortoise is over 100 years old.

He mutters a lot,

And I'm sure he's losing his mind.

I'm not sure how reliable he might be,

But yes,

Now that I think about it,

He definitely,

Maybe possibly,

Maybe once might have mentioned a unicorn.

The curious cousins didn't know that Mr.

Butterfly was fibbing and wasn't telling the truth,

And they looked excitedly at each other.

Well,

Where do we start looking?

Asked Isla Mae.

The butterfly was already feeling a little bit bad for not being completely honest and was thinking that he'd better help these children.

I'm a fast scoodlepper,

And if you aren't laggards,

Dawdlers,

And foot-draggers and can keep up with me,

I will take you to meet Professor Crane.

I'm on my way for breakfast at the bush with some delicious flowers.

If anyone can help,

It's the professor.

But if I'm flying too fast for you,

Keep heading towards the mountains,

Keeping the sun on your left hand side.

Luckily,

In this dream adventure,

The children were wearing their adventure clothing and really good walking boots.

They left the cave,

Tucked in behind the butterfly,

And started out smartly across the felt.

All the while,

Audrey Jane chanting her new favorite words,

Laggard,

Dawdler,

Foot-dragger.

Chapter 4 The Lovely Lizard The curious cousins tried to keep up with the butterfly,

But they had to pick their way over rocks and around bushes while keeping their eye out for snakes.

They had learned on their African elephant expedition that Puffy,

The pathadus snake,

Was very lazy and hid in the dirt waiting for his next meal to come along,

And they desperately wanted to avoid him.

They were making decent progress,

But the butterfly,

Even though it was a huge black butterfly and easy to see,

Was long gone.

Keeping the sun on their left shoulder,

They found themselves on the edges of a huge group of zebra and ostriches.

The children didn't know whether to walk among them,

Run away from them,

Or try to quietly slip by.

There's a massive rock,

Said Amelia Rose.

Let's see what we can see when we stand on that.

The curious cousins climbed up only to find that the top spot was already taken.

A blue-headed lizard,

One of the prettiest lizards of the Bushveldt,

Slowly turned her head towards them.

She blinked her bottom eyelids up in a laid-back and deliberate way and stared.

Not moving out of the way,

The lovely lizard said very slowly,

Come on up.

Plenty of room here.

Don't be shy.

She wasn't about to give way to the children,

Although in her own dilly-dallying way,

She did welcome the interruption.

Isla Mae could hardly contain herself,

And it all came out in a rush.

We're here to find a unicorn under an acacia tree.

Have you seen it?

Can you help us find it?

Which way should we go?

The agadist flicked her forked tongue and unhurriedly turned to look at Amelia Rose.

You seem like the oldest and no-nonsense one.

What is she going on about?

What's a unicorn?

No-nonsense was easily going to make it onto her favourite word list,

And it really does describe Amelia Rose,

Chuckled Audrey Jane.

We're from Canada,

Said Amelia Rose politely.

And we can travel in our dream life,

Added Audrey Jane.

And we're here to see the unicorn that was spotted beneath the acacia tree,

Butted in Isla Mae.

Chapter 5 The Zostriches and Ospreys But first things first.

Do we need to worry about all these zebras and ostriches?

They seem to cover the bushveldt as far as the eye could see.

Amelia Rose was secretly happy to try out this new South African word.

Well,

Zebras and ostriches draw the lizard,

Hobnob,

Together to protect themselves from lions,

Hyenas,

And cheetahs.

It's very smart,

Really.

Hobnob,

Grinned Audrey Jane,

Thinking that this might make it to the very top of her favourite word list.

The lizard repositioned herself on the rock for maximum sun exposure,

And continued explaining what she meant by hobnobbing.

Ostriches and zebras mingle and mix together.

Strange,

Really,

For such big birds and horse-like creatures.

But it kind of makes sense to me,

As ostriches have long necks,

And they have the largest eyes of any land animal,

And this gives them the great eyesight.

And they can see trouble coming for miles around.

Their eyes are actually bigger than their brains.

The lizard continued.

Did you know that zebras are actually black animals with white stripes?

And they have fantastic hearing,

And can rotate their ears in almost any direction.

If they hear trouble,

They can warn the whole herd,

Zebras and ostriches alike.

It's a perfect arrangement,

Really.

Not to mention that both zebras and ostriches have extremely powerful kicks,

And this makes them a formidable team if they do need to protect themselves.

Will they feel that we are a danger to them?

Asked Amelia Rose.

Is it safe for us here?

The only danger for you will be not to step on the herb droppings before the dung beetles have a chance to tidy them up,

Chuckled the lizard,

Who,

Despite her slow manner of thinking,

Often thought she was somewhat of a comedian.

You could call this a herd of zostriches or ospreys.

Get it?

Get it?

Zebras and ostriches together?

The curious cousins hid their smiles behind their hands and got down off the rock.

If this mystical creature,

Called the unicorn,

Was last seen under an acacia tree,

I would suggest that you head that way,

Continued the lizard.

She flicked her tongue in the general direction of the mountains and said,

You can't miss the trees.

There are so many.

I'm not quite sure how you will discover which one had a unicorn under it.

Be respectful of the acacia tree.

She's not called the Queen of Africa for nothing,

And she'll expect you to treat her like royalty.

Chapter 6 Queen of Africa The curious cousins looked in the direction that the lizard had indicated and saw a beautiful tree not too far away.

We don't know if that's the right acacia tree,

Said Amelia Rose,

But it's a good place to start.

They set off across the bushveld,

Carefully picking their way between the paddies of dung.

I dare you to step on that,

Whispered Isla Mae to Audrey Jane.

To step on what?

Asked Audrey Jane.

Isla Mae pointed to a very dry,

Crusty-looking dropping that was about the size of a dinner plate.

Why should I do that?

Pouted Audrey Jane.

Just because I bet you won't.

Taunted Isla Mae.

Yes,

I can!

Shouted Audrey Jane.

Just because she was the youngest didn't mean she couldn't do stuff.

Amelia Rose,

Who was leading the way,

Turned around just in time to see Audrey Jane lift her leg and bring her heel down with great force in the middle of the dung paddy.

All three girls watched in horror as the wet,

Slimy dung squelched out of the dry outer crust of the paddy and shot up the back of Audrey Jane's adventure pants and all over her walking shoes.

If it wasn't so surprising and so funny,

All three of them might have wanted to cry.

But the three children laughed till they were happy tears while they headed towards the thorny,

Flat-topped acacia tree.

But I don't see the unicorn,

Moaned Isla Mae,

Although she was feeling a lot more relaxed.

Laughing till you cry sure does feel good.

Wow,

Whispered Audrey Jane as they approached.

Can you see the mummy giraffe and her baby?

The giraffe had her baby between her long legs and while baby was drinking her mother's milk,

Mummy reached up high into the tree eating the soft,

Feathery leaves and flowers on the upper branches.

I can't see why this tree is called the Queen of Africa.

It is majestic,

Said Amelia Rose,

Pointing towards the mass of yellow flowers covering the flattened,

Spreading crown of the tree.

Meanwhile,

The Queen of Africa,

Acacia tree,

Had been watching the children walking towards her across the felt.

She knew that she was a sight to behold,

Magnificent in her flowering glory.

She was very queenly and she expected the respect and love and admiration shown by the animals,

The insects and birds for whom she provided food,

Shade and shelter.

Usually,

She didn't lower herself to get involved in the daily life of the bush felt.

She was the queen after all.

But her curiosity was getting the better of her and she wondered who these children were.

She cleared her throat and said in a posh,

Snooty accent,

How is it?

Who are you?

And what are you doing here?

The curious cousin looked up startled.

This tree certainly sounded like a queen who was used to being obeyed.

They weren't sure whether to bow,

Drop to their knees,

Stand their ground or run away.

They looked at each other uncertainly.

Chapter 7 Good Giraffe Alame blurted out,

We're looking for a unicorn,

Your majesty.

The curious cousins were not sure what to expect.

They had never spoken with a queen before.

Did they need to bend the knee?

And what if the acacia tree was just like the butterfly and the lizard and had no idea what a unicorn was?

The mommy giraffe shifted her baby to help it burp after its lovely long drink of mother's milk.

She was just about to begin singing the baby's favorite Afrikaans nursery rhyme when the little one piped up,

Mummy,

Mummy,

What's a unicorn?

Quite right,

Announced the posh queen in a voice that was far too loud.

If we don't know what it is,

We can't help you find it.

It's about as tall as a zebra with strong legs that can run fast,

Explained Alame.

But it's not black and white.

It has more rainbow colors.

The queen,

With all her airs and graces,

Scoffed.

Well,

That's weird.

What a bizarre thing to say.

You children are strange.

What kind of an animal has the colors of the rainbow?

Audrey Jane loved the thought of a Z word on her list.

Bizarre buzzed around her head.

I know who can help them,

Suggested the giraffe.

If anyone knows what a unicorn is and how to find it,

It's Professor Crane.

The curious cousins were anxious to meet this professor who had also been mentioned by the breakneck butterfly.

Well,

He's a bit of a smart aleck,

Huffed the queen.

Just because he's the national bird of South Africa doesn't mean he's all that.

Yes,

But he is the most learned of all the creatures in the felt.

I do believe that he can help these children on the unicorn adventure,

Insisted the giraffe.

I'm heading towards the wetlands where all the cranes hang out.

Come along,

Children,

And I'll show you where to find him.

The good giraffe headed off with the girls in tow.

Sing along with me.

It helps my baby march along.

Mm-hmm.

Chapter 8 The Cultured Crane Professor and Mrs.

Blue Crane had woken up to the vast,

Clear sky of the African felt.

The professor had recently retired and was in his normal,

Bored and grumpy frame of mind when he woke,

Complaining that he had nothing interesting to look forward to.

In the hopes of improving his mood,

Mrs.

Crane had recently introduced him to mindfulness through dance and voice.

All right,

Dear,

She said briskly.

Let's get going.

It always helps you feel better.

The professor and Mrs.

Assumed their positions facing each other and started slowly bowing.

They did a few leisurely jumps in the same spot and then side by side began a loping run.

At a given signal,

They scooped up sticks,

Tossed them into the air,

And then slowed themselves down with some gentle wing flapping.

They finished up their mindfulness ritual by stretching tall,

Heads thrown back,

Beaks skyward,

And with special crane-style unison calling,

Executed a complex and complicated series of bird calls.

Professor Blue Crane still felt grumpy,

But he loved his wife and knew that she was just trying to help.

He tried to pretend to feel better for her sake,

But secretly he was dreading the day.

It's just another day of feeling bored and jaded.

Before I retired,

I had been the authority of all that was knowable on the Bushveldt,

The guardian of knowledge,

The keeper of the records,

And the chosen historian.

I was the cultured crane.

The professor remembered the days when the lions had stopped by with the name of a new cub for him to record in his births,

Marriages,

And deaths ledger,

And the day that the hippos needed him to negotiate a peace treaty with the crocodiles,

And the time that he had to go to the acacia tree to persuade the legavon to stop climbing up the tree and demolishing the birds' eggs.

The professor let out a big sigh,

Dropped his head,

And tried to decide what he felt like eating.

A few seeds today,

Maybe some juicy grasses,

Perhaps a crunchy insect or a plump rodent.

Feeling like he couldn't even bring himself to get excited about his lunch.

Come on,

Dear,

You need to eat,

Said Mrs Crane,

And don't forget that the grandchildren are coming over later.

After we've had our meal,

We'll go and find some frogs and fish for an afternoon treat for the little ones.

Good grief,

Sighed the professor.

There was another thing that annoyed him.

He didn't like being called Opa by the little monsters.

It made him feel really old.

He was happier being known as Professor,

Not Grandpa.

Well,

At least it's something to do,

He conceded,

And it makes their grandma,

Their Oma,

Very happy.

They walked along comfortably,

Side by side through the wetlands,

Looking quite magnificent on their long black legs,

With their silver-bluish-gray feathers shining in the African sun.

Chapter 9 Clever Crane The curious cousins halted in their path and watched the two colossal,

Striking birds walking along.

These birds were very tall,

Just like the secretary bird they met while on the African elephant expedition.

Even the Canada geese that hung out along the Bow River in Calgary,

Alberta,

Canada,

Were only half as tall as these giant birds.

Audrey Jane was the shortest in the group and was,

At that moment,

Very grateful for her recent growth spurt.

Although the birds still towered over her,

Their sharp beaks a little intimidating.

Let me introduce you,

Said the giraffe to the curious cousins as they hurried closer to the birds.

Professor,

Professor,

She called out.

The professor ignored her,

But kindly Omar Crane turned around and let out a squawk.

Ah,

Your baby!

I haven't seen you since the birth.

How are you both?

Mom and baby doing well?

Professor Crane let out a groan.

He was very well aware that his days were boring,

But his idea of an interesting conversation did not include talking to a giraffe mom obsessed with her new baby and unable to talk about anything else.

He really didn't care how many times a day the baby was feeding or whether it was sleeping through the night.

He also didn't mind being rude and impolite and was just about to continue up the path when the giraffe called out.

Professor,

What's a unicorn?

The effect on Professor Crane was stunning.

He almost tripped over his long legs as he came to a quick halt and turned around.

It was then that he noticed the curious cousins for the first time.

Who wants to know?

He was very interested in all his years of teaching,

Mediation,

Record-keeping,

And being the wise one.

The word unicorn had never been mentioned on the African bushveld.

Not only had none of the creatures met a unicorn,

But they had also never even heard the word.

Except for that one time,

Way back when,

His scholarly and very smart grandmother had told him the legend of the African unicorn.

Well,

This day is certainly perking up,

Said the professor.

He looked at Mrs.

Crane and said excitedly,

I'm feeling my get-up-and-go return.

He certainly felt his energy surging as he ruffled his feathers and adopted his teacher's stance with one foot in front of the other.

Gather around,

Children,

And let me tell you a tale.

This was a special moment,

As it was going to be the first time he had ever spoken about this.

The children found flat rocks to sit on,

All ears on the professor.

Finally,

Sighed Isla Mae,

While Audrey Jane wondered if get-up-and-go qualified to be on her special word list.

Was it even a word?

Chapter 10 Unique Unicorns Professor Crane cleared his throat and announced,

The legend of the African unicorn,

As told to me many years ago by my very wise grandma.

Ooh,

Legend,

Audrey Jane exclaimed.

It was a great word that made a story seem ancient and quite special.

Once upon a time,

Many,

Many years ago,

Before people came to this part of the Bushveldt,

There did,

Indeed,

Live a herd of unique unicorns.

The professor raised his wing in the general direction,

Pointing towards the mountains in the distance.

Now,

These unicorns had magical and enchanted powers,

And they provided healing for all the other animals on the felt.

They were able to heal cuts and scratches,

Help with headaches,

Make sure the babies were born easily,

Generally providing all the medical care that the animals needed while living together.

Isla Mae was having a hard time keeping up.

Hearing that the African unicorn was a healer boggled her mind.

What about the curly rainbow mane,

She asked,

Unable to wait to ask her burning question any longer.

Did these unicorns have curly rainbow manes?

The professor looked down his beak at her.

He wasn't used to his students interrupting his flow.

He exhaled loudly,

Gathering his thoughts,

And continued.

These ancient African unicorns certainly did have curly rainbow manes,

And they also had sparkles that they gave to anyone who was sick,

Tired or unhappy to help them feel better.

How did the sparkles work,

Asked Audrey Jane quite delighted.

They were bubbly and glittering,

And you put them on your skin or ate them like vitamins,

Said the professor.

Once you took your dose,

You were really healthy,

Because whatever your sickness,

It just magically disappeared.

Professor Crane paused in his story,

Wondering how to tell the rest of the tale without making it too scary and sad for the curious cousins.

He needed to choose his words carefully.

Chapter 11 The Baddie Baboons Continued the professor.

One day over the mountains came a troop of long-toothed baboons.

They had never been seen in this part of the bushveld,

And the other animals didn't quite know what to make of them.

The baboons were in a big group that was loud,

Horrible and brash.

They were waking up all the sleeping babies.

They were throwing litter on the ground and had the most ill-behaved children that anyone had ever seen.

They even swirled the water at the watering hole so that everyone else had to drink muddy water.

Audrey Jane quickly tagged brash,

Another word for her list,

And gave her full attention back to Professor Crane's fascinating story.

Professor Crane was in full voice now.

All the animals were hopeful that the baboons were just passing through on their way to create chaos somewhere else.

But the days passed by,

And the baboons only got more awful and weren't showing signs of leaving any time soon.

They were rude,

They were spiteful,

And the whole situation was becoming impossible for the other animals.

One day,

Continued Professor Crane,

A group of elder animals decided to visit the unicorns to see if,

As healers,

They had any ideas on how to live in peace with these baboon intruders.

The tortoise,

Blue crane,

Earlamp,

Giraffe,

Butterfly and lizard met with the unicorns under the acacia tree.

Each elder voiced their concerns,

Politely taking turns with the talking stick.

They scared my little niece with their big yellow teeth slashing at her as she walked home,

Said the earlamp.

She's still so small,

She ran home crying.

They're bullies.

They chased my baby into a thorny bush,

Mrs.

Giraffe complained.

And their constant noise,

Mess and infighting are just exhausting,

Agreed the tortoise.

They keep yelling,

And we don't want our young to learn those rude words.

Professor Crane continued.

The animals had approached the unicorns because of their magic healing powers,

Their rainbows and their sparkles.

They were hoping that the unicorns could help heal this unusual situation.

No one knew where the baboons had come from,

And the community agreed that this first encounter with the baboon troop and their ill manners and their long,

Dirty,

Yellow teeth had not been pleasant.

They wanted life to go back to the way it was before,

When they all lived together with kindness and consideration,

Contributing to the community,

Watching out for each other,

And certainly not engaging in bad language.

Professor Crane took a deep breath.

This next part of the story was the most difficult to tell.

The unicorns shook their heads and tut-tutted,

Feeling empathy and love for the elders,

Who were just trying to look after those under their care.

They knew that the baboons had disrupted the animals' way of life,

But they hadn't realized it had gone this far.

There was a solution.

A solution they had passed down from one generation of unicorns to the other.

But it was a drastic move,

And the unicorns weren't sure how the other animals would respond.

CHAPTER 12 UNICORN MAGIC Gather around,

Said the oldest healer unicorn.

There is a solution that is guaranteed to work,

But it cannot be reversed and undone.

And although the baboons will be put in their place,

It will forever alter our community on the Bushveldt.

The animals look startled.

They'd not been able to come up with a resolution themselves,

But they hadn't counted on anything that sounded quite so drastic.

It will be the end of things as we know them,

Said the unicorn.

But it is a permanent solution to the baboon problem,

Which I'm afraid is only going to get worse and worse,

As they are not restricted and grow bolder.

The unicorn dropped his voice to a whisper and said,

None of what we say can leave this group.

Can I count on your promise to keep this hush-hush?

Each elder nodded gravely,

Not feeling sure that they were ready to change the course of the Bushveldt,

But also needing to find a solution to these loudmouth baboons.

Hush-hush,

Hush-hush,

Repeated Audrey Dayne to herself as she noted down the words,

Thinking that the S sounds made things seem very secretive.

The unicorn continued whispering,

It's an ancient spell,

Enchanted and effective,

That we unicorns have known.

Just before the sun,

The giver of life rises over the felt,

We unicorn healers will gather.

After a brief moment of silence in unison at a given signal,

We stand up on our back legs,

With our rainbow manes flowing behind,

And direct all of our sparkles towards the still-sleeping troop of baboons.

As they wake,

The baboons will be covered in sparkly bubbles,

While we,

The magical unicorns,

Chant a secret healing spell.

Wow,

That doesn't sound so bad,

Brew,

Drawled the lizard.

It sounds like a fairytale solution to a very real problem.

But that's not all,

Continued the unicorn.

As a result of this very powerful spell,

We will lose all our healing powers,

And our curly rainbow manes will have no more sparkles for treating sickness after this.

Oh no,

Wailed the giraffe.

Either we put up with the total disruption that is the baboons,

Or we lose our healers.

Oh dear,

Oh dear,

This is an impossible choice.

The professor paused in his story to see how the curious cousins were reacting.

The children's faces were stricken.

I think I know what they chose,

Murmured Emilia Rose,

Putting a comforting hand on both Isla Mae and Audrey Jane.

Chapter 13 Rainbow Unicorn Professor continued.

These animal elders took the night to think about it,

And the next morning they did indeed choose to ask the unicorns to perform the spell,

To put an end to the harassment by the baboons.

The last straw was the night before when the crane grandchildren were celebrating at their first birthday party.

The baboons had disrupted the celebration by throwing things,

Smashing the cake,

Stealing the candy,

And then drowning out their happy birthday song with their bad language.

As grim and difficult as their choice was,

The baboons were making everyone's life a misery,

And they had to be dealt with.

When the baboon children didn't respond to the tidy up song,

The whole community understood that desperate measures were needed.

The elders agreed to accept whatever the consequences were of losing their healing magical rainbow unicorns.

Audrey Jane was so distracted by this choice that Emilia Rose had to nudge her about the word grim,

Which sounded as depressing as it meant,

But it was good enough to make it on her word list.

But where did the unicorns go?

Asked Isla Mae.

Did they just vanish?

Wondered Audrey Jane,

Unable to imagine it at all.

No one knows,

Said the professor,

But unicorns with rainbow manes and sparkles have not been heard of nor seen in Africa since then.

But that's why we're here,

Sniffed Isla Mae.

We heard there was a unicorn under an acacia tree in southern Africa.

Emilia Rose had to,

Realizing that Isla Mae was almost on the verge of tears.

Chapter 14 Realistic Rhinoceros I do have something very special to show you.

At about the same time that the unicorns disappeared,

As legend would have it,

This creature showed up.

Would you like to see our current and very real version of the African unicorn?

Asked Professor Crane.

He led the curious cousins up the small hill.

With the sun on their backs from up high,

They looked out over the felts and just below them to the right was yet another breathtaking Queen of Africa tree.

Just then,

They spotted movement beneath the tree and the professor said,

Behold the southern white rhino.

Although she doesn't have a single horn on her forehead like the unicorn,

She has two horns.

A magnificent longer horn at the front of her nose with a smaller one behind.

They don't have any rainbows,

Said Isla Mae,

Nor any sparkles,

Said Audrey Jane.

But they are quite magnificent,

Pointed out Emilia Rose.

Yes,

Agreed the professor,

They certainly are glorious.

White rhinos are actually gray,

As you can see.

Did you know that the rhino has looked the same for three million years?

They look like prehistoric animals,

Don't they?

And they could quite easily pass for the smaller cousin of the dinosaur.

Professor Crane was whispering,

Being cautious not to disturb the rhino.

Being known as the African unicorn made the rhinos quite grumpy.

They felt it was giddy and beneath them.

The other animals were careful not to call them the African unicorn so they could hear.

The rhino was massive,

Almost as tall as a daddy at shoulder height,

Very heavy,

Weighing the same as a small airplane.

Do I have giddy on my word list?

Wondered Audrey Jane,

Jotting it down just in case.

White rhinos graze on grasses and although they have very poor eyesight,

Their sense of smell and hearing are very,

Very good.

The females live in family groups with their children,

With sometimes many families living in the same area.

They know each other quite well and love to meet at the watering hole,

Where they greet each other warmly.

Just the other day,

Mrs.

Rhino from the West shared her favorite berry spot with Mrs.

Rhinos from the East,

The North and the South.

Chapter 15 Open Oxpecker What's that grayish bird on the rhino's back?

Asked Amelia Rose.

I know it doesn't seem possible but that small bird is the rhino's security,

Their lookout and guard,

Responded the professor.

It's called an oxpecker and is a light gray bird that lives on the back of the rhino,

Zebra,

Buffalo and hippo.

It feasts on ticks,

Fleas and other blood-sucking insects that infect the large mammals,

Leaving them clean while the birds enjoy a free meal.

These birds have special feet that help them stay on the animal's back even as they move around the hole of the felt.

But their most important job is to sound the alarm,

Alerting their big friend to danger.

Do the birds feel that we might be something they would be on the lookout for?

Wondered Amelia Rose.

It's quite possible but the bird hasn't raised a ruckus yet so perhaps they know that we are friends,

Said Professor Crane.

Ruckus,

Ruckus,

Ruckus,

Hummed Orgy Jane to herself as she put it on her list.

But,

Continued the professor,

I don't think we want to push our luck as rhino growls,

Grunts,

Snorts and bellows are scary to hear.

And when it's attacking it can run as fast as a grown-up can go full speed on a bike.

Even though it looks like a miniature dinosaur and it's big and heavy,

It's fairly nimble and agile on its feet like a dancer.

It can turn in small spaces.

Do rhinos love mud like elephants do?

Asked Isla Mae,

Remembering what she'd learned on the African Elephant Expedition.

Hundreds,

Replied the professor.

Rhinos love rolling around in the mud as it keeps them cool in the hot African sun.

The curious cousins were feeling very lucky and couldn't take their eyes off the African unicorn.

If you're quiet,

We can stay and watch a few minutes longer,

Agreed the professor.

Chapter 16 Tautzintz As the oldest of the curious cousins,

Amelia Rose felt responsible for her little sister Isla Mae and her young cousin Audrey Jane.

She remembered that they would soon witness the swift,

Sure blackness of the African grasslands.

And as thrilling as the rhino was,

It was time to go home.

Even she was feeling a little sleepy.

She couldn't imagine how the younger children were feeling.

It had been an exciting expedition and it was time to go back to their cozy bedrooms in Canada.

Thank you,

Professor Queen.

I don't know what we would have done if we hadn't met you.

We are all so grateful to you for sharing the legend of the African unicorn.

Yes,

Agreed Isla Mae.

I love the thought of the African unicorn being the rhino.

What a spectacular discovery.

Wait till I tell my friends.

And don't forget,

Said Audrey Jane,

It could easily be mistaken for a cousin of the dinosaur.

Just one final question,

Professor.

Do you think that the unicorn actually became the rhino?

Asked Amelia Rose.

Well,

Said Professor Queen,

The rhino certainly does have a secret charm.

It has no known predators,

Only humans.

What do you children think?

Did the mystery of the unicorn become the magic of the rhino?

Was the magic and mystery of the African unicorn a secret?

Wondered Audrey Jane as she placed both words on her list.

Omar Crane looked proudly at her husband,

Recognizing that he hadn't seemed this happy since he'd retired.

She gave the children a shy smile,

Feeling grateful that they had come by and given her husband this opportunity to share his knowledge.

Her brain was already flying,

Wondering if being a tour guide was something her bored professor might enjoy in his retirement.

Goodbye,

Professor Crane,

Said the curious cousins in unison.

Tot ziens.

Let's not say goodbye.

Let's say till we meet again,

Till I see you again,

Smiled the professor.

The children were yawning as they joined hands,

Thought about their comfy bed,

And landed gently back in their bedrooms.

What a story they would have to tell their mummies and daddies when they woke up.

Their dads,

Joel and Adam,

Were fifth generation Africans.

They'd immigrated to Canada from South Africa when they were very young boys,

And the curious cousins couldn't wait to share their African unicorn expedition with them.

The end.