Wondering what to do for her usual slow sun‘n’air-dry she spotted a shaded area and lumbered over to it. As it was near the Termite Tree Henrietta knew she would have to be very careful in order not to get creepy-crawly dreams. Two minutes later she was settled again on the warm, shady ground with the dry grass blowing gently around her large and damp body. And so began the slow, drying off process.
Henrietta had slipped off into pleasant oblivion where she peacefully stayed until there was an ‘altermity’ sound from the tree. There followed much hustling and bustling, and to-ing and fro-ing as the inhabitants of the Termite Tree had woken and were starting their ritual march-out drill. Because this was in preparation for their daily food foraging and litter patrols, Henrietta realised that it would be nearly an hour before all was tranquil again.
Poor Henrietta sighed and felt a great thirst. Lumbering back to the waterhole made her hot and bothered and so after a long drink Henrietta jumped into the still water. There was more uproar and ripples but Henrietta was again oblivious to it all.
With interest, Henrietta watched the beetles again for a while and re-climbed out of the water and once out had a quick shake. Her thick skin felt much cooler again and Henrietta went in search of another shaded place at the edge of the Jungle whereon she sat and listened for a few minutes. As all was quiet there she decided this would do for her new ‘soft spot’ and promptly settled down to slumber in, what was the last of the late ‘afternoon-nap’ sun. Henrietta drifted off nicely again.
Not many minutes had elapsed before there were great rustling sounds coming from within the jungle. Denzil Dung Beetle, an ‘odifferous’ creature, mainly due to much dung pushing, came scuttling out of the undergrowth closely followed by Walter Warthog. When Walter saw Henrietta he braked, turned full-circle and went full-pelt back into the undergrowth. Denzil meanwhile had scuttled under Henrietta’s ample belly overhang and paused there for breath and shelter. He was very thankful that he had been saved from a fate worse than wetting Walter’s warthog appetite and started saying as much to Henrietta.
Normally Henrietta would have accepted the ‘Thank you’ gracefully but she looked round and down at him, then almost exploded. After all it had taken her most of the afternoon to get into this slightly sun-kissed, half dry, albeit slightly wrinkly state, so she was not amused to smell eau-de-dung’. He sensed that his welcome had been outlived and hurried off before Henrietta could even think of scolding him in her usual high-hippo manner..
Henrietta watched him depart and before he wended his way Denzil scuttled towards the drinking hole for a much-needed whistle wetting. There followed a great deal of slurping and then the air was blue as he spluttered out the mud and a few colourful words. Denzil turned beetle-eyed and the look he gave Henrietta was designed to penetrate the toughest hide - even with her thick skin she felt his eyes boring into her.
Henrietta’s ears started to burn so she hastily flapped them and sat up. At this rate she was not going to get herself totally dry without going completely wrinkly. Her only course now was to pay for her sins and try for a treatment at the “Shady Glade”. With as much dignity as she could find she tiptoed off into the jungle. Henrietta made a quick dash past the Jungle Gym and soon arrived at the “Shady Glade”. This was a pampering parlour that Henrietta had always associated with the idle, ornate and vain. Reluctantly she crept in - hopefully unnoticed.
All was quiet in the parlour except for the gentle clinking noises being made by Lenny Long Trunk as he tidied around the basins. Henrietta was relieved to find him alone as it ensured her visit to the parlour would not become known to the outside world. After all, it was not the sort of establishment a self-respecting, practising but lapsed, creature of the Gentle Creed was expected to visit.
Lenny welcomed her in with much gusto and Henrietta asked him if he could fit her in for a quick huff and blow. He said, “I just have a few ‘tusks’ to attend to then I will be with you, Dear.” Henrietta was so relieved that she almost hugged him and then leapt most unladylike onto the vacant couch.
“Make yourself comfortable, why don’t you,” he remarked to the laid out hippo. She blushed and jumped off the couch as if it were a hot bed. Lenny chuckled and soothed the very embarrassed Henrietta saying that he was only jesting and told her to get back on the couch and relax. Henrietta made herself comfortable and waited patiently while he finished his tusks
