The Magic Twigs

An antelope stepped forward and revealed she had met a young man on the path. Others confirmed seeing human footprints.

"This is outrageous!" blustered a hippo. "We're invaded!" screeched the hyenas. "Whoo�whoo is it?" said an owl. "Whoever it is, we'll catch him!" shrieked the monkeys. The next day, the monkeys swooped from the trees to catch Amadi, and carried him back to the meeting house. Another emergency meeting was called with the three communities to decide what to do with the hapless human.

The elephant lifted him high in his trunk for all to see. The Hunters roared, "How dare he come to our Community of the Animals! We'll tear him to pieces!" "Our elephants will trample him!" cried the Grazers. "We'll snap him in two!" croaked the crocodiles. They all shouted with anger. Amadi knew one thing - he was doomed.

"Well, I won't need these anymore," thought Amadi, and from the bag of leaves he had made to carry his honey cakes, he threw one into the elephant's open mouth. The elephant closed his mouth. "Hm," he said, cocking his head to one side. "Hmmmm." He lowered Amadi a bit. "Uh, no need to be hasty here. This human has a very unusual, I might say a very tasty treat."

"What do you mean?" "I want one!" "Give me a treat!" Suddenly they were clamoring for honey cakes, and Amadi broke the honey cakes and threw treats to them all.

"Call to order! New proposal!" said the warthog, banging his staff. "My suggestion is that we allow the human to live so he can share with us the secret of these tasty treats."

They all cheered this fine idea. The elephant set down Amadi, and they clustered around him. Amadi told them how he had been so badly treated by the humans, how the mahogany tree had revealed the lights of their town, and how he had lived on honey cakes since he discovered the magic twigs. He offered to teach them about the practices of humans, how they hunt and how they try to trick animals.