MORE WILDLIFE

I suppose that none of these are intended as house pets.  Especially the last one.

On the lookout

Gee, some day you'll make a nice warm sweater, or coat, or ...

The hooded bandit lookout

I'm sleepy.  Go 'way.

Don't think this is strong enough to climb

Masked bandit leader

I thought you said this was a pond.

Smell good, but not too tasty.

I drink here any time I want.

Humor -

It is known that some species of fish on the coral reef have adapted to be able to survive the poisonous sea anemone's sting.  This gives them a safe place to hide from predators.  What isn't so well-known is the story of the single fish that decided to be different.  One day he swam away from his protective anemone, in search of some other hiding place.

           At first, he swam into a small crevice in the rock, but he very quickly swam out of there, chased by an eel.  Then he decided he could hide inside a shell, so he found a nice big one that he liked, but had to retreat from the crab that got there before him.  Finally, exhausted, he swam into the coral beds, and hid among the brilliant colored fern-like fronds of the corals.

          The next day, when he hadn't come back to the anemone, some of the other fish decided to go out and look for him. They hunted everywhere for him, but they couldn't find him.  Eventually, just as they had given up, they heard him calling to them.  They looked around, but they couldn't see him anywhere.  He was perfectly hidden by the coral.

          Finally, he showed himself and they tried to persuade him to come back home.  But he refused.  The coral was too good a hiding place to leave and "After all," he said, "with fronds like these, who needs anemones?"