saving themapinguari

8/10/2019 Saving TheMapinguari

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Saving Mapinguari

Mapinguari glared at the giant snake. His spindly hind legs were crossed in front of him

and warm Amazon rain dripped from the trees on to his head and shoulders. Huge black flies

buzzing and whining around him.

He looked and felt - like a giant, slimy, green hairball.

It wont make any difference to me, the snake told him. Ill just swim upstream to

escape. Therell always be forest somewhere.

Mapinguari shook his head. "There won't, Anaconda," he snapped. "The trees, animals,

you, me, everything will be gone.

He carefully picked a fly from the rotting algae on his stomach, his backward-facing claws

making the rescue difficult.

Farmers, miners, loggers!theyre destroying the forest, he told her. And well all

disappear with it.

Anaconda raised her head slowly and turned to face him. Her wide, almond-shaped

eyes drifted open and her eyelids drooped.

You call yourself Guardian of the Forest," she hissed. "And you say you've got magic

powers. But I doubt it. And anyway, any magic you might have will make no difference. No

difference at all. Youre really just a weird old giant sloth," she told him, and turned away.

Mapinguari managed a smile, his wide, thin mouth curling at the edges.

He went back to flipping flies away. I may be a thousand-year-old relic," he admitted.

"But Im determined I wont become extinct. And I wont let anything else in the Amazon

become extinct."


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Anaconda scratched her neck on the rough bark of a branch. Then she coiled herself

more comfortably among rotting roots of a tree in the riverbank.

Mapinguari flipped a disrespectful fly off the end of his nose. It landed on his stomach,

and he searched frantically for it, hoping he hadnt hurt it. He finally found it in the algae,

stunned, and let it climb groggily on to his claw. It finally shook its wings and spread them

slowly wide. Relieved, Mapinguari bent forwards and gently blew the fly into the bushes.

He was lonely, the only one of his kind. Somehow he'd survived extinction for a thousand

years, but he knew he might not survive much longer. When the forest disappeared, he would

too.

Anaconda began twitching impatiently. So just what do you think you can do? she

asked him. Anything?

Mapinguari nodded. Ill get help, he told her. Youll see. Ill find children who will help,

and I know therell be others as well. The world will soon know whats happening to us. My

magic wont let us down, I promise you.

He hesitated and then asked, Youll come back when its over and tell me what you

think?

Anaconda nodded once, a little dip of her snout. Then she slid silently back into the black

water, not making the slightest ripple. She simply sank, and disappeared.

Mapinguari shuffled slowly into deeper shade. After all, a thousand-year-old giant sloth

doesn't have too much energy.

Kaleidoscopes of lizards and frogs slithered through the forests understory. Above

them spider monkeys chattered and screamed and noisy toucans rattled in the forest canopy.

Mapinguari looked for a comfortable cradle of roots in which he could sleep. He had

some magic to make.

!!!.


3/9

No Math this morning? Ms. Allisons students couldnt believe it.

When the students were finally quiet she told them, Were going to do something special

this morning.

Ben and Angela couldnt believe it! No Math? Something special? On a Monday

morning?

The twins glanced at each other and shrugged. Anything was better than Math!

"Ive a movie to show you, Miss Allison told them. Its about how animals and plants

become extinct.

She paused, and then asked, Who knows what extinct means?

Angela immediately raised her hand into the air.

Angela!what does extinct mean? Miss Allison asked her.

Extinct means gone forever, Angela replied.

Her eyes flicked to the dinosaur posters on the classroom wall.

Like dinosaurs, she added. They became extinct millions of years ago.

Ben moaned silently. Not dinosaurs again! He couldnt hide a bored yawn.

Unfortunately, Ms. Allison had seen him. He felt his cheeks begin to glow as they turned

red. He was too embarrassed to dare look at Angela.

Ben!do you know why animals and plants become extinct? Ms. Allison demanded.

Do you know why animals like dinosaurs disappear?

Ben blinked behind his glasses. Theyd once made other kids laugh at him, but now

they were jealous he had Harry Potter glasses.

Everything needs a special place to live, he told Ms. Allison. If that place changes,

they cant live there any longer.

Ms. Allison nodded slowly. Thats right, she murmured. But how can places change?


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Ben remembered some of the science programs hes seen on TV. Sometimes the

climate changes, he said. It gets too hot or too cold. It got too cold for dinosaurs.

Ms. Allison pretended to be puzzled.

Why would climates change and get too cold for dinosaurs? she asked.

A huge meteor hit the Earth, Ben told her. It sent a whole pile of dirt and dust into the

air that shaded the Earth and made it dark. It cooled so much dinosaurs couldnt survive.

Ms. Allison nodded, but still pretended to be puzzled.

But there hasnt been a collision with a huge meteor for a long time, she said. So why

might some animals and plants become extinct today?

Ben shrugged. Sometimes people change places so animals cant live there anymore.

I guess that happens a lot now, he added, shrugging.

Ms. Allison nodded again and then suddenly smiled at everyone.

Bens right she told her students. Many places are changing. Some are changing so

quickly animals cant change with them. Do any of you know of a place that has changed so

animals couldnt live there anymore? she asked.

Angelas hand shot into the air again. I do, she said so quietly Ben had to lean forward

to hear her. The oak trees beside our house were cut down a few weeks ago to make room

for a new house.

Cutting down the oaks made a difference to some animals? Ms. Allison asked. How?

The birds that lived in the trees are gone, Angela explained quietly. They sang all the

time. I think they must have been very happy.

Ben didnt wait for Ms. Allison to ask him to speak. The birds werent the only ones

whod been affected. He knew his and Angelas lives had changed too.

We used to climb those old oaks just about every day, he said wistfully. In the Fall

wed kick around piles of leaves.

He paused, and then added, We cant do any of that anymore.


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The other students were now listening carefully. Climbing trees and kicking leaves

around sounded really interesting.

But everyone needs a place to live, Angela, Ms. Allison said. Sometimes we have to

change a place to help people. After all, everyone needs a house to live in, dont they?

Angela shrugged. I guess so. I suppose someone had to cut down trees to build our

house, she admitted.

But I still wonder where the birds went when their oaks were cut down, she said quietly.

She looked directly at Ms. Allison. If everyone needs a place to live, dont birds need homes

too? Those birds homes were in the oak trees.

Oh, Im sure you dont need to worry, Angela, Ms. Allison told her. Im sure those birds

found other homes. Theres lots of trees left.

Angela shook her head sadly. No, she sighed. I dont think so. Thats not what

happened. I know they couldnt find another home. There was nowhere else they could go. I

just know the birds didnt find a new home.

She glanced at Ben again before turning back to Ms. Allison. I just know it, she insisted

quietly.

Ms. Allison smiled. For a moment Angela thought she was going to run over and hug

her.

Instead, she said, I think the movie well see might make you feel better, Angela. Its

about endangered species!animals in danger of becoming extinct. It also shows how we can

help them.

Listen carefully to what people say in the movie, she told them. When weve seen the

movie, Ill ask you why animals become endangered and why that should concern us. Then

well talk about how we can help those animals.

And finally, she added, her eyes twinkling, Ill share some really exciting news with

you!


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!!!.

Just before the class ended Ms. Allison stood in front of them, smiling.

Alpha TV made the movie we just watched. Theyre holding a competition for schools,

she announced. Its for all schools in the country, but I think one of you could win!

Youll have to write an essay. Youll have to say why youre concerned about

endangered species. Then you have to name an endangered animal and explain why its

endangered. Then youll have to say how it could be saved from extinction.

Ben and Angela were excited. A chance to help endangered creatures? A chance to

help the birds that had lived in the oaks?

They stared at Ms. Allison, their mouths and eyes wide open. They wondered what the

prize would be.

Now!the best part of all, Ms. Allison said quietly. The contest winners youll enter

as teams - will visit the home of the animal they named.

Just think, she told them, holding her hands together in front of her face. You could go

to places most people can only dream about going. You could go to the deserts in Africa, or the

Arctic, or tropical rainforests in the Amazon.

But thats not all, she told them, her eyes twinkling with excitement. The winners will

help Alpha TV produce a movie about the animal. The movie will be shown on TV around the

world to encourage people to help save endangered species.

Its the chance of a lifetime!

!!!.

Ben slammed the book about endangered species down on his desk. He slipped his


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glasses off and rubbed his eyes with his knuckles.

Theres so many endangered species websites and books, he sighed. Theres so

many

animals to worry about!rhinos, polar bears, pandas, and whales and a whole lot more.

Why dont people do something to help them?

Why does Alpha TV think children can find the answers if adults cant? Angela

asked. Or wont? she added quickly.

We have to show how were all affected when animals disappear, Ben told his

twin. So we have to write about the birds and the oaks. Now I know why adults say we dont

find out what weve lost until its gone.

Angela beamed. Remember when you took that old clock apart? she asked. And

when

you put it back together there was something left over? At first the clock seemed to work, didnt

it? So you threw the part away. You thought it wasnt needed.

Ben had heard enough. Yeah, yeah, OK, he interrupted. And when the clock

stopped a few days later, I couldnt wind it up. I know, I know. I blew it, he admitted. But at

least it taught me everything matters, even if we dont know how or why.

Angela arched her eyebrows invitingly. So well say that we should keep all the

parts, all the plants and animals? Just in case?

Ben nodded sheepishly. We should say that, he told Angela. And that were

preserving things for our own children and their children.

But now we have to name one animal, he said, looking puzzled. Theres so many we

could choose.

Angela scanned her list, counting off each name with a brief nod of her head.

Then she laughed. Youll love this one, she told Ben. Mapinguari!

Ben frowned. Mapin who? he asked, puzzled. Never heard of it.

Mapinguari. Angela spoke slowly, emphasizing each syllable. Its a giant sloth


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in the Amazon. Scientists say its extinct, but people in the Amazon say its still alive.

Shouldnt we choose an animal everyone knows is real? he asked. And

cuddly, like the giant panda? Not an animal most people will say isnt real. And even if it is

real, its really ugly? And frightening?

Angela was furious. Mapinguaris an excellent choice, she insisted. OK, we

lose things we dont know the value of. But we also lose things we dont even know exist.

And the Amazon is disappearing. Trees are being cut down and rivers are being

polluted. Animals and plants as well as people there will be extinct. And then therell

be no need to argue about whether or not Mapinguaris extinct! Everything will be

extinct!

Ben looked doubtful. The Amazon? he asked. Where theres piranhas, tarantulas,

poison frogs!and I almost forgot!giant snakes!anacondas? 20, even 30 feet long?

Angela shivered. Yes, she muttered. I was trying not to think of them!

Angelas discomfort delighted Ben. Then thats our animal, he exclaimed.

Mapin!whats his name?

Mapinguari. Angela sounded tired. Again, she emphasized each syllable very quietly.

Mapinguari!Guardian of the Forest. And he needs our help at least as much as all the

others.

!!!.

Its a TV truck! Billy Conroy gasped. He stared out the classroom window, his eyes

huge and round. Got a big satellite dish on top. And theres other trucks. Alpha TV signs

everywhere!

Ben and Angela looked at each other, mouths open. Alpha TV! The Endangered

Species Competition! Theyd forgotten all about it!

Someone from their school had won?


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Could they have won?

Everyone, including Ms. Allison, turned at once when the classroom door burst open and

a herd of people spilled into the room.

The principal was in the lead. She grabbed Ms. Allisons hands and squeezed them as if

they were wet sponges she was wringing dry.

Theyve won! she gasped. Theyve won! They really have!

Then she pointed, her hand trembling. Angela!and Ben! Theyve won! Alpha TVs

Endangered Species Contest! Theyre going to the Amazon! To make a TV program!

!!!

.

Far away, an ugly, smelly creature walked slowly through the Amazons tropical

rainforest. He was pleased his magic had worked, and the rainforest and its inhabitants

seemed to be already celebrating. Bats were busy pollinating, monkeys were swinging through

the highest branches and a million, ten million, a hundred million, birds of every size and color

sang as many different songs.

Mapinguari wondered if perhaps the birds around him remembered those birds from the

oak trees next to Ben and Angelas house. Were they promising that things might yet be put

right?

Perhaps they were!why not? It made him feel better to think so.

Then he saw the head of a giant snake surface, a dark eye winked slowly at him, and the

head disappeared, leaving not even the slightest ripple on the dark water.

The ugly creature smiled, turned back into the rainforest, and immediately vanished in the

myriad trees, lush green plants, and dazzling flowers of the Amazon.

2013 Roger SmithFlesch-Kincaid Grade Level: 5.1

saving themapinguari

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