The
Mongoose and the Iguana
©
Ann Mason January 2006
Iguana knew her babies were close to hatching. She had located a safe
haven many months previously between jagged rocks upon a cliff and had
carefully laid her four perfect eggs in amongst fallen leaves and grass
she had gathered to build her nest. But Crested Iguana babies take almost
nine months to hatch so she had to wait patiently and guard her eggs for a
very long time. Perched high on a branch that overhung the nest with her
long tail dangling below she could closely keep watch for any menacing
predators.
“Oh, I need food!” she whispered softly to herself. Not wanting to leave
her guard post Iguana chose to continue to remain at her post for a moment
longer and ignore the demands of her rumbling, empty belly.
Suddenly, something small and furry but fleet-footed emerged from the
grasses and stuck its long nose into the nest, and began sniffing the
eggs. Immediately, without thinking of her own safety, Iguana pounced upon
the intruder piercing his skin with her sharp claws.
“Stop! Stop!’ shouted the surprised intruder. “I mean you no harm!”
‘Lies!” bellowed Iguana and she diligently dug her claws deeper into his
body. Struggling to push the iguana off his back and ease the pain her
razor-sharp claws were creating, the intruder rolled over and pinned the
iguana to the hard rock floor in front of the nest. Weakened by her lack
of food Iguana was powerless to fight off the young, strong intruder
although she clung onto her hold with all her might and refused to let go.
“I meant what I said!” beseeched the unwelcomed intruder. “Now let go of
me!”
“No!” screamed Iguana fearlessly. “You want to eat my babies and I won’t
let you!”
“Hm..well maybe,” the intruder answered honestly, “but I won’t eat you!”
“Eat me, but not my precious babies, please!” Iguana pleaded but remained
determined to hold onto her tight grip.
“You are old and tough and your skin is leathery,” added the intruder
cheekily, “but your eggs are easy to break and so tasty to eat. I can suck
up the moisture and easily swallow the delicious yoke.” Iguana, unable to
continue holding onto her firm grip any longer, reluctantly let go.
“Oh!” she sighed wearily and then painfully muttered. “My babies are
almost ready to enter the world.”
“Wonderful!” interrupted the intruder, “so I get tender meat to dine upon
too!” Overwhelmed by fear and anguish Iguana lay motionless, hoping the
intruder would quickly devour her, be satisfied he had enough then leave
her eggs untouched. She was unable to muster anymore energy to continue
the fight for her babies’ survival.
“Hay!” added the intruder, almost revealing signs that he might have a
conscience or maybe he just wasn’t as hungry as he first thought he was.
“Let’s make a deal!” It was difficult for Iguana to speak but she timidly
began with:
”Don’t you have any babies?”
“No!” responded the intruder, confused as to why the iguana would ask such
a foolish question when she was about to become his dinner. But he stopped
and thought for a moment.
“If you did have babies then you would know how I feel if you were in this
situation!” whispered Iguana as a tear fell from her eye.
“I’m not powerful enough, YET!” yelled the intruder not wanting to be seen
as being weak. “Only the elders can bare children! I have to wait my turn
and grow stronger and earn my right to be a father.”
“So you are young then,” added Iguana, hoping to influence his thinking.
“You have no idea how important babies are, especially my babies.”
“Why should your babies be more important than anyone’s else?” insisted
the intruder who was feeling Iguana was belittling him. He was also
becoming tired of the seemingly pointless conversation and was ready to
eat.
“My babies are rare. My companions are few. Your kind and those other
heavy footed furry ones have wiped us nearly out,” whimpered Iguana.
“What!” questioned the intruder, who was now even more confused. “Heavy
footed ones? Oh you mean the goats.”
“Yes, if that is what you call them,” continued Iguana hoping the intruder
would listen to more of her story. “The heavy footed ones eat our homes
and stomp on us. They don’t care about us. All those greedy ones want to
do is fill their huge bellies. They eat anything! They destroy everything,
even our homes. They have no idea about saving enough for tomorrow’s
eating.” The intruder laughed because he had witnessed such gormandising
undertaken by these ravenous creatures Iguana called the heavy footed
ones.
“And your kind,” bravely added Iguana, “you destroy our eggs, our hope for
tomorrow. What future will there be for us if you destroy all our eggs?”
“Oh I’ll just find more eggs, more meat!” responded the intruder
determined to remain unmoved by the iguana’s pleas.
“Soon you will have to eat your own babies, “ quietly she continued but
sensing the intruder may have endured enough of her wailing.
“Hay, we mongooses don’t eat our own kind! What do you think we are?
Cannibals?” Surprisingly it seemed the conversation could continue on for
a while longer. “And if my kind don’t eat then what do you think will be
our fate? Right now it comes down to you and me… and I want to live! SO!”
“You don’t understand do you?” implored Iguana. “Unless we all can live
together and share the island then none of us will have a tomorrow. Not
your kind, my kind or even those heavy footed ones will have enough food
on our island upon which to live.” Iguana’s wisdom was finally making
sense and the intruder could understand her words. “Your kind came here
from far away. There was balance and harmony in your old land but your
coming here has disturbed the balance of my island home. We must work
together to create a new balance if you are to remain, one that will
ensure a tomorrow for your kind and my kind. We must work to create
harmony between us.”
“But what will I eat if I can’t eat your eggs or you?” inquired the
intruder intelligently. Iguana smiled, relieved that this fearsome
predator had really listened intently to her story. He let go of his tight
hold upon her and allowed her to stand upright.
“Then perhaps like me you can eat the fruit from the trees,” laughed
Iguana and the intruder joyfully responded. “Fruit like the delicious
paw-paw and mango.”
“Perhaps I can!” he added.
What do you think happened next?
Ending 1
Ending 2
Ending 3
