Owl peered down his nose to look at the animals surrounding him. The new moon had risen that night upon the eighth hour; it was time for the jungle meeting, but something was awry. Where is Hummingbird? Owl thought to himself, a moment before he turned towards the group and asked them the very same. No one knew. Minutes and then hours passed, and only silence answered. Anxiety and worry overwhelmed Owl as fear crept into his mind. Elephant’s feet thudded as he paced nervously around the jungle floor. Tiger mewled with unease.
As the moon began to disappear from the sky, and the sun lie on the horizon, Owl heard the distinct flutter of Hummingbird’s wings. With his keen eyes he saw Hummingbird’s heart jarringly throwing itself against her green underbelly with each beat, resulting in a steady thrum. His fear grew.
Hummingbird landed on a bordering tree branch. “E-ex-excu,” she tried to say, but her voice was too quiet and she possessed too little breath. Owl flew from his perch on a tree branch and quickly told Tiger to gain the attention of the group. A deafening roar followed. A hush fell upon the grove. Owl inclined his head to Hummingbird.
“Speak, Hummingbird. Tell us the news you carry,” said Owl.
“Ahem,” Hummingbird cleared her voice, “Well, I was in the forest, near that great boulder in the east, when I heard an alarming sound. Now, this sound I tell you it was louder than Monkey, and we all know he’s quite deafening himself. So, naturally I was curious about the creature and decided to follow my ears. What I saw friends,” and at this point Hummingbird’s entire body was shaking, “Well, I am quite fr-fr-frightened to say,” she finished.
There was a chime of complaints from the animals, particularly Elephant, who had yet to quit pacing. Owl tried to soothe her into continuing. “Please, Hummingbird. If this creature is able to frighten you so, we must know. For the safety and well-being of the rainforest you must tell us. Please.”
“Well, alright, I suppose. As I said, I was flying around the forest, collecting berries and such, when all of a sudden I heard an awful, awful sound, so I followed it. When I reached the clearing where the creature sat, I was very much so trembling and could barely open my eyes from fright to look. What I did see though, well, I saw a creature, far greater in size than Elephant and far stronger than Boa and far more ferocious than Tiger. After that, I turned and fled.” And this time, Hummingbird really was finished.
“Thank you,” Owl spoke, near trembling himself. He faced the animals below him. “Friends, there is a creature seemingly far greater than any one of us, but I do not fear this creature. I believe it to be a friend, and that is why, Hummingbird, as soon as you are ready, I would like you to seek it out again, and report back to us tomorrow morning,” Owl commanded.

“Please, please,” Hummingbird pleaded, “I-I can not go back. Please.”

“Hummingbird,” Owl spoke evenly, “I assure you there is nothing to fear. I believe your judgement of the creature has been clouded with fear. Calm yourself, and I am sure that when you return tomorrow you will bring good news, correcting yourself of your misconceptions. If by chance I am incorrect in my decision, you are by far the quickest animal among us and will be able to flee. Now, leave.”

Elephant looked at Hummingbird with tears in his eyes, silently begging her not to go. With wings fluttering unsteadily, Hummingbird ignored his silent plea and flew out into the distance and out of sight.


The next morning, Hummingbird did not return. So, again, the animals assembled in the clearing to discuss what to do. “Thissss morning,” Boa hissed, “when I went on my daily sssslither near the boulder in the easssst, I heard noissssessss jusssst as Hummingbird had desssscribed. Thissss creature issss dangeroussss.”

“Nonsense,” Monkey argued, “Owl said this creature was a friend. Owl is never wrong.”

“But Owl also told us not to fear the creature, and if this is not reason to fear it, then I do not know what is,” Elephant argued.

“Now, I never said that,” Owl backpedalled, “I merely stated that I believe the creature not to be a foe. I assure you Hummingbird is fine.” But the animals were unsure and wary of Owl now that Elephant had spoken.

“I could have been wrong,” Boa suggested. “Perhapssss I only thought I had heard the creature.” Boa nodded in thought, “Yessss, yessss I am sure of it. I only imagined the ssssound.”

“See that?” Owl asked, “It was a mistake. Boa was wrong. We send another creature today. I am positive that Monkey will be able to find Hummingbird and the creature, and that he will come back tomorrow well acquainted with the new creature.”
“But what if Monkey does not come back either?” questioned Elephant.
“Monkey will come back,” stated Owl, “because he has the advantage of tree climbing. The creature can not do that.”
“But how do we know?” asked Elephant.
“Do you not take Hummingbird’s word. Do you doubt your friend?” Owl ask the group.
“No,” Monkey hastily replied, “Of course not, but-”
“Then it is settled. You will leave now and return tomorrow with the creature and Hummingbird.
“Yes,” Monkey surrendered. He swung from the tree he was currently sat to another and another and another, right out of sight.
“He will come back,” Owl stated, firmly.


The following day, Monkey did not return. Boa, Elephant, and Tiger grew worried and sought out Owl. Along the way they saw trees uprooted. “It is as Hummingbird warned us. There is a dangerous creature lurking,” said Elephant.
The animals found Owl perched on a tall branch in the growth and told him of their discoveries. “What now?” The three asked in unison.

“Send out Boa. She is the strongest and can fight the creature if necessary,” Owl ordered.

“But,” Boa interrupted, “I jusssst layed my eggssss four nightssss ago, I need to be here for them.”

“The more reason for you to return then,” Owl gritted. Boa slithered away. A few moments later, Elephant spoke.

“Owl, I do not think you should have sent her out. She was right about her eggs; they will need her. And since Hummingbird and Monkey have not returned, are you sure it is safe?” Owl’s head spun towards Elephant.

“Would you rather it were you?” he asked scathingly.

“N-no,” Elephant stuttered, “But-”

“Then do not worry. They will come back. I assure you.” And then Owl flew to another tree.


Thereupon, on the next day, Boa did not return. “Do not fret,” said Owl to Tiger and Elephant, his voice soft again.

‘I think we should all go out and look for them,” suggested Tiger.

“No, that would be chaos,” answered Owl. Tiger looked deflated. Elephant worriedly looked between the two of them.

“I found trees torn to pieces today a little ways from the grove. I fear it is getting closer. ” For a moment Owl appeared as if he was considering what Elephant had said. That moment swiftly passed.

“There is only one thing to do. We send out Tiger, for he is the most ferocious of all beasts and will be able to frighten the creature away.”

“I do not like this,” said Elephant.

“Nor I,” agreed Tiger, his eyes fearful.

“Then we do nothing,” Owl said. Tiger bounced from paw to paw, weighing his options.

“I will go,” he pronounced.

“NO!” shouted Elephant, clearly upset.

“Do you want our friends to die?” Tiger asked wearily.

“No,” breathed Elephant, as he watched Tiger traipse away.

“Why do you do this?” Elephant sobbed.

“Because there is nothing to fear,” came Owl’s reply.

The following day brought the expected- no returning animals, yet Owl appeared surprised. “Where do you think they are?” asked Owl.
“ Perhaps the creature conquered them. I do not know, but I certainly do not care to find out. Goodbye.” Elephant trudged into the distance far from the grove. A thunderous sound like that of bones breaking could be heard in the distance.

“Nothing to fear. Nothing to fear,” Owl muttered to himself.


Days passed and no animals returned. A full moon was to rise that night. Perched on his favorite tree, Owl silently waited for his friends. “Nothing to fear. Nothing to fear. Nothing to fear. Nothing to fear. Nothing to fear. Nothing to fear,” he sang.

In the not so far-out distance, he heard a rough and harsh sound that shook him to the core. “Nothing to fear. Nothing to fear. Nothing to fear,” he whispered. Owl thought back to the first day when Hummingbird had first come to the grove shaking and gasping for air, barely able to utter a squeak. “What could have shaken her so?” he wondered.

He continued to sit in silence until finally, his curiosity won. “I must know what did it!” he shouted, though no one was around to hear him. Owl flew off his branch and through the trees. “Nothing to fear. Nothing to fear. Nothing to fear,” Owl silently chanted.
His eyes glowed in the darkness that surrounded him. He strained them to see as far as they could-searching, searching, searching. The sound became quieter and farther in between, yet, Owl knew that he was getting closer. As the moon steadily rose higher and higher in the sky as time passed, the trees thinned around him.
Finally, he reached the clearing and what he saw- it was just as Hummingbird had described all those days ago. The creature stood tall, a giant even to Elephant, and it’s mouth was extensive, gripping the base of a tree and pulling with strength awing even compared to Boa. Owl was intimidated by it, more so than ever, than even when he had first been in the presence of Tiger.
Owl’s heartbeat quickened, as he flew above the trees and soared through the forest for hours. He saw these creatures again and again; hundreds of them, each one more frightening than the last. The trees disappeared one after another. One tree, two tree, three tree, four tree. Over and over again. Owl was scared.
A Few Weeks Later…

Owl perched on his favorite tree branch on the only tree left in the rainforest. The creature was approaching him and he knew this was the end. “Nothing to fear. Nothing to fear. Nothing to fear. Nothing to fear. Nothing to fear. Nothing to fear,” Owl chanted. The creature opened it’s terrifying jaw and clamped down upon the tree. The tree shook, as did Owl, as the creature began lifting the tree from the earth. The sound the creature made was ear-splitting and Owl shrieked as his eardrums throbbed. “NOTHING TO FEAR! NOTHING TO FEAR!” he shouted over the noise.

Owl looked down, the tree had been separated from the earth, the roots exposed. He lost his balance. “NOTHI-”
The creature hummed to a stop, it’s duty complete- only a silent, barren earth remained.