Savanna Classroom

It was hot and the class was restless. It consisted of 8 young red-billed oxpeckers perched along the neck of Giraffe 216 and a yellow-billed oxpecker lower down on the flanks who was a recent transfer student. The teacher was droning on about air currents and thermals.

“What’s your next class?” Mbaya whispered to his friend Mjinga.

“Biology,” Mjinga said. “We’re dissecting botfly larvae today. Professor Mzee said we could eat them afterwards.”

“It is it on Water Buffalo 77?”

“It was, but he gotten eaten yesterday by a group of hyenas. They moved it to one of the elephants. 58, I think.”

“Ugh, Elephant 58 farts all the time. Remember when Inanuka got too close to the hind end and got knocked out by the smell?”

At that moment, a young lion pounced at the giraffe’s back legs. Giraffe 216 kicked out, knocking the lion aside. The class flew up off the bucking animal, scattering and swooping to watch the fight.

“Class is not over!” the teacher shrieked as the class flew around, some flying off to a nearby tree. “Remember we have a flying test on Wednesday. At least do your homework.”

A few seconds she was the only there. “Class dismissed,” she said and flew off to the watering hole for a drink.