Alfred the New Gnu
by
Robin Hall
Alfred knew some things other gnus didn’t. For one thing, Alfred knew he was a gnu. He also knew he was a new gnu though he didn’t know how new or how he knew he was new, he just knew.
One day not so very long ago, Alfred was born. He was a very new gnu at the time, a baby gnu. Then a few weeks later he knew he was a gnu. How? Some British tourists were passing by in their hired Toyota Land Cruiser and one of them said, “Look, Alfred, there is a baby gnu.” That is how Alfred knew he was a gnu and a baby too. The other gnus didn’t pause much from eating but Alfred did and at that very moment he knew. He decided his name WAS Alfred too.
“I wonder if the other gnus know much?” Alfred wondered. They didn’t seem to know much and Alfred couldn’t ask them or anyone. Alfred had many thoughts from that moment on. He wondered if other animals knew what he knew? “Were they conscious?” might have been the question an educated person would ask. Alfred wasn’t educated but he was conscious and he knew that too. Well, what to do???
Now Alfred started wandering around looking at things in a new gnu’s light which was very bright. He watched the herd of gnus. He watched his parent gnus. They didn’t treat him any differently. Alfred watched the other animals too and how they watched the gnus. He watched the lions too and the lions watched back. Alfred knew they didn’t know much but he knew they were hungry so Alfred stayed with his herd. He was a smart gnu.
Which presented a problem. Most smart people can go to school. Alfred wasn’t a person and there were no gnu schools for a new smart gnu to go to. The teachers would probably say there were no gnu desks for you to sit in and since he couldn’t talk or sign, how would he answer the questions even if he studied hard and knew all the answers? Hmmm. Besides, the children were frequently not very nice to those who were different and a new gnu who knew, would be VERY different don’t you think? Yes, I do too. So, what to do???
Alfred knew there were other ways to learn than going to school. You could just watch animals and people. You could read but that was somewhat difficult since there weren’t any gnu libraries. “I can just do things. Which is a fine way to learn too and that is what I will do!!”
Well, Alfred knew there were many questions and he could not solve all his life's problems in one day so he made a plan. “I will keep growing, I will get very strong and fast, I will keep learning the best I can. I am a new gnu and I will do what I can do rather than try to do what I can’t do.” And he did.
The continent Alfred lives in is called Africa. It is very, very big and there are many adventures for a new gnu to have, so I will come back often and hope you do too.
