Twiga's Story

That day in the African Savannah seemed much like any other. It was calving season for the giraffes and one mother was giving birth. Her much-smaller-than-usual baby fell to the ground. She turned around and licked him clean. He shivered slightly, and tried to stand up, before immediately falling down again.

The mother was worried, her calf wasn’t strong, and may fall prey to lions or other predators. She encouraged her calf to try again. This time he succeeded in standing. The mother nudged him with her nose, and walked a few steps, he stumbled after her. Relieved, she decided that maybe he would be ok, he seemed to be a little fighter.

A few weeks later however, when the two of them were heading to a water hole, the mother discovered a pride of lions waiting in ambush. She knew that they wouldn’t attack her, but maybe they would go for her son.

‘Twiga!’ she called anxiously. ‘Lions! Run!’ She galloped off, knowing that either her son would follow her, or he’d be trapped. But she knew that she couldn’t risk her life trying to save him, for if he lived and she died he’d die anyway. Meanwhile Twiga had walked straight into the pride. He snorted in a frightened manner, and backed off, unfortunately stumbling against a tree root. The lions took this as a sign to advance, and came menacingly towards him. Twiga rapidly regained his balance though, and galloped off. Looking up at the darkening sky, he let his spirit flow around him, gathering energy from the stars. Suddenly he discovered he was able to run like the wind! He ran and ran and ran, his small mane flying out behind him. The lions, astonished, had stopped almost immediately, and watched their prospective dinner disappear. Twiga stopped and looked around, not at all out of breath.

This is amazing! he thought. How can I do this? He looked around for his mother, but she was no where in sight. Hopelessly he wondered what he would do. How could he survive? He went cautiously over to a large acacia tree and delicately nibbled a few leaves. They were delicious! After eating some more and feeling better he found a shady spot and fell asleep. Twiga dreamt that a grey-blue heron had appeared out of the sky, and was standing next to him. Twiga saw that he was two giraffes, one, asleep and dreaming and the other who was in the dream. He said to the heron, ‘Who are you? You’re so beautiful!’

The heron smiled and said ‘You have no home here. You have special gifts that would greatly help Jamaa, which is being destroyed by phantoms and two-legs. Will you come, young one?’

‘I-I-I don’t know,’ he stuttered, ‘I’m not exactly sure that I understand you…’ he added timidly.

‘That is good, clever one. If you had known, I would know that it was not right to bring you with me. If you had known, you would have been arrogant about it, for it is what the stars foretell. But come, soon it will be dawn, and there will be predators around. But I forgot, you have a special gift; drawing energy from the stars. Twiga, if I am to take you to Jamaa, do you promise to only use this gift for good?’ asked the heron, smiling kindly but also with a searching look.

‘I’m afraid I still don’t know what you mean… What gift?’ asked Twiga.

‘Child, you have the gift to draw energy from the stars, this can be used for your running, as you have just experienced. It can also be used to protect, if you wish it. But if you join forces with the phantoms or the two legs, your spirit would be destroyed, and you would find nothing but fear, greed and selfishness.’

‘What are two-legs?’ quizzed Twiga, thinking they sounded rather terrifying.

‘Two legs are like monkeys you see around you, but they wear clothes and have guns. They destroy the magic of Jamaa! You would become a two-leg too, if you came to Jamaa. But a different kind, you would become a Shaman. Kind animals who are ready to leave all they have known to help Jamaa,’ explained Mira.

‘Wow!’ breathed Twiga, before accepting readily to come.

‘I knew you would come, Twiga, Spirit of the Giraffes! Come,’ Mira waved one wing, and a small hole appeared in the ground. This hole filled with water and became a whirlpool. Mira placed the tip of her wing into this whirlpool and immediately she and Twiga were sucked in.

A small cricket who had been watching said to her mate, as she saw the sleeping Twiga vanish, ‘Another Spirit has left out world, and gone to help the Sky Mother!’~Ancient Animal Jam Legend, created by Kinyonga