Lick stretched out her long, purple tongue, reaching for the juicy leaves just above her head. The rest of her herd were scattered about the clearing of trees, happily munching on the plants. Lick gazed thoughtfully around with her large, gentle eyes. Some of the younger giraffes were questioning one of the elders of the herd excitedly. Lick moved into earshot to listen.
“But what’ll we do if we find a lion?” Thorn’s daughter, Leaf, cried.
“I can’t fight! I don’t think I can…” Leaf kicked a nearby twig, sending it flying through the air.
“You won’t have to fight, young one. The herd will protect you,” the old giraffe reassured Leaf.
“But what if the herd isn’t there?” Another giraffe asked.
“Ah, then you can use…” The elderly giraffe paused dramatically, “Your secret weapon!”
“Oooh…” The crowd of giraffes gasped excitedly, before begging to be told more.
“Inside your tongue are some little bumps that, when touched, create a venom that is harmless to us, but deadly to other animals,” the old giraffe explained. Lick blinked. She hadn’t known that.
While the young giraffes shouted questions to the elder, another giraffe raised her head to look up at the sky.
“Storm’s coming,” she muttered.
Lick looked as well. The sky was dark and heavy with clouds. Then the first drop fell. As if on a signal, all the other raindrops came pouring down, and soon everyone was soaked.
Shaking the rain from her eyes, Lick stumbled closer to the others, but they weren’t there. Twisting this way and that, she tried to find the other giraffes, but they must have gone to find shelter while she was distracted and not noticed her absence. So, Lick decided to wait out the storm under the tree she had been eating from and try to find them afterward. The repetitive noise of the rain soothed her, and before she knew it, she was asleep.
…
Lick jolted awake. It was morning, and the storm was over. The others were still not back, so she got to her feet and prepared to search for them. But suddenly, she heard a low growling noise. Turning slowly, Lick found herself face-to-face with a lion.
The lion snarled hungrily at her. Lick backed into the tree. “S-stay… Stay away! Don’t come closer– don’t– go away!”
But the lion showed no signs of going away. It crept closer, and Lick thought she was doomed. Suddenly, the elderly giraffe’s words popped into her head.
Her tongue!
Stretching forward, she tentatively licked the lion on the shoulder. Instantly the lion let out a cry of pain and backed away. There were burns all along the lion’s shoulder, and a hissing noise came from the wound. Whimpering, the lion ran off into the distance, until it was just a speck on the horizon.
But that wasn’t all that Lick could see on the horizon. There was also a cluster of tall shapes, moving steadily towards her. Lick’s herd had returned!
Written by Havilah Graff from Montclair, New Jersey, United States of America
