Saturday, May 12, 2018

2018 Kipling Award Finalist: William Miskovich, Green Street School, Diane Clouet, Teacher


Endangered

There had been tension in the jungle for many a year now, ever since the pale beasts came. The smaller our land became the harder it was to hide the little ones. With all this vegetation being lost, and more predators in less space, our jungle was becoming deadly for all those not bearing dagger like teeth, and a goal to kill. It was my job to protect the little ones.

I ran a child care. It was small but I kept babies safer than all others. The location was told to only the parents delivered by the most trusted eagles. The life of the panda was hard. I had grown up before the invasion. We were taught to stay away from the pale beasts; the tigers were taught otherwise, they were told not to make a goal of attacking, but if the pale beast invaded our land, have no hesitation to kill. The child care was started in 10 minutes. (I had all parents leave their kids in the falls.

The great waterfall concealed a cave, which was where I picked up the cubs.) This was normally a good thing. No one ever dared to enter the cavern. It was filled with traps and all the elder pandas lived there. Nothing, not even a pale beast entered but still we took extra precaution with the small ones. The cave was amazing, filled with beds and hot springs. I love children, but that was not the only reason I was their protector. That was the only way I can get into the cavern.

My love for the cavern is aside from the point. It is not very easy to protect children when you have your legs tied together hanging from a rope. I had got caught in one of the snares set up and it was only a matter of time before I was taken away to steel cages and looked at for pleasure. I couldn't even trust the parents, I made them leave their kids at this secret spot. I always kept the location hidden in case there were spies for the beasts, or a tiger decided they wanted lunch. But it was not without its disadvantages when they were not accompanied. They were sitting ducks waiting for a hungry visitor. I knew time was now my greatest enemy. I needed to get down fast. I looked around. There was not much, but I remember there was one thing. I could get a tiger to help me, although they hated me for our great mother never intended for us to be in anyway kind. They knew it was better to get me down rather than to let me get taken by the pale beasts and let them gain more control.

 I called to Rocky, a large south chinese tiger. He patrolled this part of the jungle. He made sure none of the pale beast came close to us. He was the most fierce, and yet had the biggest heart he was just like a geode beautiful inside but hard to crack. I know he would be kind and get me down. His brother was caught in the snare and almost taken away. Fifteen minutes prior to when the beasts made their rounds Yoa Yoa, a smart well built giant panda came in ripping the snare apart, letting him free almost taking both their lives. So Rocky was always nice to the pandas although some tigers thought of them as food he thought of them friends. The law once was anyone can kill as long as it is quickly eaten (so there was no disruption) but the invasion changed that.

Our whole ecosystem was off and was trying to be fixed. So they put limits on what kind of food you could kill. Still, not everyone follows the law. Rocky was as quick as molasses (he took a half hour) but he finally helped me down. I was lucky to get down at all. Some who were trapped up here got taken away to camps, which they called zoos. They trapped us in cages and then had people look at us for entertainment. When I got down I bolted ran as fast as I could. I was running to the spot where the babies were always left. Though I knew as fast as I ran I would never get there in time I was relying on the water to hide them.

A huge waterfall rushing with millions of gallons of that beautiful clear blue liquid. I just hope they had not ventured too deep. Down farther you get to wear no panda has ever gone. Where the great creatures the that lurk in the great depths of the river nested, they were not hostile but fiercely protected their territory.

When I got there I saw nothing but Footprints leading away over towards the pit where the great creatures lived. I hope the cubs hadn't gone too far. But the chances were quite slim. They were very adventurous and didn't use much brain, but I prayed they knew how to stay out of that type of trouble. Deeper and deeper I went into the cave. Maybe they had figured out the secret path up to the cavern with all the elder pandas.

Though this would be a miracle, walking faster and farther, I started to lose my sense to stay away and be scared of stay away from dark corners. Then boom hit me. I don't know what it was, it seemed a tiger at the time I turned myself over and found my worst fear it was a Siberian. I wrestled around with him trying to get a grip on him I didn't want to kill him just maybe knock him out or wound him bad enough he couldn't chase after me. Above my head I heard the rock starting to rumble as if a piece was about to come loose It was only a small piece but enough to knock him unconscious. I grabbed a rock in my mouth and threw it up it hit the chunk and came down with an infernal scream he was out cold.

 I had my senses heightened this time making sure another ambush wouldn't get me. My right arm was already bleeding profusely. There was nothing much around me so I decided to just bear through it. I heard a squeal from the corner it was the smallest of the bunch yu zi (she was so small we often joked she was a different species, but we knew it was only because she was the runt. I ran to them knowing there would be one if not more tigers guarding the cubs to my surprise there wasn't I cut them Loose from the bamboo cage. “Yu zi, Hua Mei, all of you what happened?” Quite enthusiastically they told me about what happened. Some accounts I think were exaggerated. But all close to the truth.

 Diligently we went up to the cavern through a passageway I had learned about for protection but was told never to use. As we came in we saw the elder pandas circle around one spot although they were young the cubs knew what had happened, they stood next to elder pandas. The cubs said what they knew who is right they said all the things they'd heard of him. They prayed for him the runt yu zi gave her favorite comfort blanket and laid it on him. I asked what happened and they simply said there are forces in this world we cannot know he just fell over we do not know why he said in his dying breath let the panda that keeps all baby safe there has been a treaty signed for peace in the jungle and the pale beast have gone.

There are beasts who see in our hearts and protect us. The pale beasts can’t come back not now or ever. He is now an elder. This story is always something I will remember it will always break my heart, the bravery in one over ignorance of another.


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