Alfred Rides Again

Alfred Rides Again
by
Robin Hall


One day Alfred was inspecting bits of lunch left by some Japanese tourists who were visiting his part of the world in a Range Rover. The tourists were wandering here and there with Leicas around their necks shooting pictures of all the tame wild life. A huge herd of bewildered beasts was having one of their regular migrations. Japanese people loved migrations as much as any tourists do.

Actually it wasn’t a migration at all. The head bewildered beast was pondering some grass on the other side of a small stream and wandered over to see if it was tasty. He had forgotten how upset the others became when they couldn’t see him.

First one, then another began running after him. Of course, seeing a herd of bewildered beasts come charging over a stream was enough to frighten any animal and the head bewildered beast took off running too. Hence, the “migration” that our tourists were witnessing. It happened all the time.

Anyway, one of the little girls had climbed a tree near the Rover and was out on a limb right over the table set up for lunch that Alfred was still inspecting. Oopps, she fell right onto his back. Alfred, who had never seen TV westerns, thought the world was coming to an end and took off. While her parents were still taking pictures of the out of control wandering, the migration, the little girl was holding on for dear life and more.

After a bit, Alfred began to think clearly again. Then he stopped slowly, the girl got off, sat down and began to cry. She was exhausted and so was Alfred. What to do?? If anyone found out how smart Alfred was he might end up in one of those zoos he heard about on the BBC or worse, on Opra.

The little girl said, in very nice Japanese, “My name is Shoji.” She patted Alfred and he thought some more. He could see she was quite frightened and there was no way to get her on his back again. She winked at Alfred. Alfred winked back. The jig was up.

He knew he had to get her back to her parents safely so he started off in that direction. Shoji followed. When they got near and she saw her parents, Shoji politely thanked Alfred and ran off shouting that she had ridden a gnu for a long distance and then he had showed her the way back.

Alfred had hidden behind some trees and wasn’t visible. Like many parents they completely ignored the truth and the group went on to visit some ferocious sleeping lions the guide had seen earlier.

An interesting thing happened to the little girl though. She knew she was right. She knew she had ridden a gnu and the gnu had showed her back to safety. She knew that some animals are conscious. Shoji never told another person until years later when she had a daughter.

Shoji took her daughter to Africa for her sixth birthday present. She went to the same spot she had met Alfred. The two searched and searched, without luck.

Then late one day off in the distance, Shoji saw a gnu with two spots on its side just like Alfred’s. She and her daughter walked and walked. They got closer and closer. Alfred remembered that day as well as Shoji and happily took her daughter on the ride of her life and brought her back safely after a wonderful time.

It was quite a day and every one cried. They promised never to tell any of the boys because they couldn’t keep secrets. So the story of the smart gnu grew and grew in the family and is told even today, but only to the girls.