Читать книгу Huberta's Journey - Cicely van Straten - Страница 7

Three

Each day Novikela led the calf into the river and swam slowly beside her. When the calf grew tired she climbed on her mother’s back. When she was hungry she dived to suckle under her belly.

Fish darted beside her, nibbling the algae that clung to Novikela’s hide. Sometimes Ntini the dog otter swept past. Entranced by the silver bubbles in his whiskers, the calf would leave the udder to chase him.

Most days, when the intense heat of midday had passed, Novikela left the river to lie in the sun beside her calf. Now and then the cow heaved to her feet to stand over the calf and salivate a layer of moisture over its tender skin. Then she sank down again with a sigh and dozed in the gentle afternoon warmth.

Novikela did not go with Mzamuli’s cows to graze on the hills. She grazed near the river, close to the safety of the water. Here she cropped grass while the calf suckled or trotted beside her.

There were lessons Novikela had to teach her calf before she joined the herd. The first was never to venture far from her mother’s side.

As the calf grew stronger and more adventurous, Novikela had to discipline her. One day the calf’s attention was drawn by wild duck on the water. She swam away from her mother’s shoulder and struck out on her own.

Novikela lunged forward, opened her mouth and scraped the calf’s side with her tusk. The little one rolled in the water, bleated in pain and surprise and then clambered onto her mother’s back, bleeding. She did not leave Novikela’s side again.

One moring as they floated in the backwater under the thorn tree, a purple heron rose from the reeds with a hoarse “Kaaark!”

Novikela swivelled and saw the gliding gold-flecked eyes of two crocodiles. She shot spray from her nostrils in warning and gaped to display her tusks. Undeterred, the crocodiles slid towards them.

The cow veered left, keeping her body between them and her calf. But the crocodiles separated, one to her right and the other circling towards the calf. They knew Novikela could not fight them on both sides.

Suddenly the calf bellowed and was pulled under. Blood spurted from a rush of foam. With an anguished roar the cow lunged. Her huge jaws gaped and closed on the body of the crocodile. Immediately the thorny vice on the calf’s leg loosened.

In a sweep of red spray Novikela tossed her head upwards and the crocodile soared into the air. Then its body smacked into the water, bitten clean in half. Blood spread in bright-red feathers as the severed halves floated downstream.

The cow lifted her injured calf over her broad muzzle and carried her to their bed in the reeds. For days afterwards the little one limped, but her wounds healed fast under her oozing sweat.

The calf did not forget the terror though. From then on she always pressed close to the shelter of her mother’s shoulder.