The warrior stared back at Jack and Annie.
"We were helping one of your honey guides," saidAnnie.
The warrior was as still as a statue.'
"We didn't mean to steal anything," Jack said. "Infact, it's all yours. We've had enough.""Lots of good honey still there," Annie said, smiling.
The warrior narrowed his eyes.
Is he angry? Jack wondered.
"I'm sorry we were trespassing," said Jack. "Wecome in peace. In fact, we bring gifts." He picked uphis backpack and held it out to the warrior.
The warrior still didn't move.
"This?" Jack held up his book. Nothing.
"Uh--" Jack reached into his pack. He pulled out thebig jar of peanut butter.
"Peanut butter!" He pulled out the loaf of bread.
"Bread! Hey. Hey! How about a peanut butter andhoney sandwich?""Yum!" Annie said, watching the warrior.
The warrior stared at the food.
"We'll show you," said Jack.
As Jack unwrapped the bread, his hands shook.
Annie opened the jar.
"We don't have anything to spread it with," shesaid.
"Use your fingers," said Jack.
"Excuse me," Annie said to the warrior. "I have touse my fingers. But they're pretty clean. An elephantjust--""Just do it, Annie!" said Jack.
"Okay, okay."She spread the peanut butter onto a slice of breadwith her fingers. At the same time, Jack spread thehoney from the beehive on another slice.
Jack and Annie put their pieces of bread together.
"Ta-da!" said Annie, handing the sandwich to thewarrior.
The warrior took the sandwich, but he didn't eat it.
He just looked at it.
"Let's make sandwiches for us, too," Jack said. "Sohe doesn't have to eat alone."They quickly made two more sandwiches.
"See, like this," said Annie. She bit into hersandwich. "Mmm. . .yum."Jack took a bite, too. "Mmm..." he said. It was reallygood.
Finally, the warrior bit into his sandwich. Hechewed slowly.
"This is called a picnic," said Annie.
They ate their sandwiches in silence.
When they finished, Jack screwed the lid back onthe peanut butter jar.
"Not bad, huh?" he said.
The warrior smiled. He had a kind, dignified smile.
Jack and Annie smiled back at him.
Then the warrior turned gracefully and vanishedinto the trees.
"Oh, man," said Jack. Part of him wanted to followthe silent warrior through the shadowy forest.
"Ready?" Annie asked softly. Jack nodded.
Annie started to go.
"Wait," said Jack. He put away the peanut butterand bread. "We're going back to the tree house, right?
We're not going to do any-thing silly, like rescueanything or chase birds. Right?""Those things aren't silly," said Annie. "Don't forgetthat the bird gave us the answer to the riddle.""Oh. Right," said Jack.
He looked at the little honey guide. She was on theground, pecking at the honey-comb.
"Thanks," Jack said to the bird.
"Have a good feast," said Annie.
Jack put on his pack. Then he and Annie started outof the forest.
When they passed the pond, they saw the elephantstill splashing in the water. He lifted his trunk. Heseemed to be waving at them.
"See ya!" Annie shouted, waving back.
They rounded the bend in the river, then startedthrough the tall grass.
As they walked back toward the tree house, theysaw the wildebeests in the distance. There were stillsome crossing the river.
They saw a family of zebras grazing together.
They saw lone giraffes walking from tree to tree,eating the leaves.
And they saw a bunch of lions sleeping in the shadeof a tree--the same tree that the tree house was in.
"Whoops," said Annie.
Jack's heart gave a jump.
"So there they are," he said. |