Rachel Poliquin - Ostriches

For Tobias, of course, and always. R.P.

To the amazing bird in my life, and our egg of wonder. N.J.F.

A great big ostrich-size thank you to Dr. John Hutchinson, Professor of Evolutionary Biomechanics, Royal Veterinary College, University of London.

Text copyright 2019 by Rachel Poliquin

Illustrations copyright 2019 by Nicholas John Frith

All rights reserved. For information about permission to reproduce selections from this book, write to or to Permissions, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company, 3 Park Avenue, 19th Floor, New York, New York 10016.

hmhbooks.com

Cover design by Whitney Leader-Picone

The illustrations in this book were produced using a mixture of black ink, pencil, and wax crayon on paper, in a technique known as preseparation. The artwork was colored digitally.

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication data is on file.

ISBN: 978-0-544-95040-5 hardcover

ISBN: 978-0-358-27266-3 paperback

eISBN 978-0-358-16437-1
v3.0620

THIS AN OSTRICH.

Just an ordinary ostrich.

But even ordinary ostriches are extraordinary. In fact, even ordinary ostriches are superheroes.

I know what youre thinking. Youre thinking that ostriches are just overgrown chickens with ridiculous necks, skinny legs, and bad attitudes.

And youre right! Believe it or not, that neck helps ostriches run at supersonic speeds. Those skinny legs can kill a lion dead. And that bad attitude? Well now, you cant be one of the biggest, fastest, fiercest warriors around without having a touch of grumpy swagger.

Youre still not convinced that ostriches are superpowered, are you?

Well, you dont know ostriches.

But you will.

MEET ENO, AN ORDINARY OSTRICH. Hes big. Hes grumpy. He has the longest legs and the tiniest head, and you should never, ever underestimate what Eno can do. His superpowers include:

Are you ready? Are you brave enough? Because this battle bird is built ferociously fierce! Unfathomably fast! So take a deep breath. Its time to meet ENO, SUPERSONIC SURVIVOR!

THE FIRST THING YOU NEED TO KNOW about Eno is that he has horrible feet. Theyre scabby and rough with scaly plates down his toes. He only has two toes on each foot, and they are both horrible. His big toe has a giant black toenail thats longer than a grizzly bears claw. His other toe is just a knob on the side of his foot. It doesnt have a toenail, and its ugly.

I know its not nice to say such things. But look at that footyou know its true! Besides, I think Eno is proud of his horrible feet. Those feet are survivor feet, and they save his life every day in one of the toughest, hottest, fiercest places on the planet.

You see, Eno lives in part of the African savanna, in Tanzania. Although it is a beautiful place, it can also be a terrible place. In the dry season, the hot sun bakes the ground until it cracks. Water can be hard to find, and Eno might go days, even weeks, without a drink. But water isnt Enos only problem. The savanna is also home to lions, cheetahs, leopards, and hyenassome of the hungriest, wildest, fastest predators on earth.

Most birds can fly away if they see a lion prowling. Ostriches cant fly. But it doesnt matter. Enos horrible feet are actually TWO-TOED TORPEDOES. And those nasty black toenails? TOE CLAWS OF DEATH!

And its not just his feeteverything about Eno is ferocious.

Did I hear you ask, How fierce can an overgrown chicken really be?

Well, to understand just how fierce Eno is, you need to understand where Eno lives. And to understand where Eno lives, we need to go. You and me. Because the African savanna is more than just a place on a map. Its a way of life. And it sharpens and shapes every inch of Eno into a superfierce survivor.

I know weve just met, but we should leave. Right now. Not a minute to lose. The dry season has started. The wildebeests are already on the move, and life is getting gritty. Dont pack much. Just bring a T-shirt, shorts, a large hat, sunscreen, water, and binoculars. Ill bring the sandwiches.

WELCOME TO PARADISE! Were in the Serengeti, a small corner of the African savanna in Tanzania. You might be far from home, but I bet youve seen this place thousands of times in pictures: grasslands stretching as far as you can see, dotted here and there with graceful acacia trees.

Its home to some of the worlds most splendid animals: elephants, giraffes, zebras, wildebeests, lions, hyenas, gazelles, cheetahs, impalas, rhinoceros, warthogs, and, of course, ostriches. Theyre all here, roaming the grassy plains of the African savanna.

If we had come in April, it would be raining. During the rainy season, it rains most days. With months of heavy rain, grasses grow tall and lush. Rivers flood and pool into huge watering holes. There is lots to eat and lots to drinklife is good in the wet season.

But weve come in late Septemberthe peak of the dry seasonand it hasnt really rained for months. The grasses are shriveled and burnt. The watering holes have shrunk to mean and muddy puddles. Everyone fights for a drink. Some animals, like the wildebeests, have wandered north to find food and water. Life is tough in the dry season.

But whether its the dry season or the wet season, one thing is always the same in the Serengeti: EVERYONE IS ALWAYS WATCHING EVERYONE ELSE.

Of course, wild animals are always on the lookout. Most prefer to sneak among the trees or lurk in the shadows. But on the wide-open grassy plains of the African savanna, there is nowhere to hide. Maybe slinky things like snakes and mongooses can creep by unnoticed, and even a cheetah might slip into the tall grass during the rainy season. But when dry season hits, everybody can always see everybody else.

The lions are always watching the zebras, sometimes from atop a termite mound, so the zebras can always see the lions always watching them.