'Inda wanted Notandu to play with her in the forest one day. So they skipped off down the track, and deep into the thick bush...'
Come on a wonderful journey in deep Africa and meet the friendly, heroic and cheeky chimp 'Chip'.
Notandu lived with his family next to a big forest. All the children of the village played in the thick trees and grass. But they knew not to go too deep into the forest. It was SO big, and easy to get lost.
Notandu’s best friend was Inda. Inda knew lots of fun places to play in the forest. But Inda got lost once. And it took the village Big Man, or Chief, and all his helpers, to find Inda.
Inda wanted Notandu to play with her in the forest one day. So they skipped off down the track, and deep into the thick bush.
Birds cheeped and chirped in the trees above Notandu’s head. Suddenly, on a branch of a thick, green tree, a chimpanzee appeared! The chimp was looking down at the little friends, waving its arms wildly.
Inda and Notandu were excited. The chimp had a cheeky little grin, and it was having so much fun in the tree.
The chimp jumped to the ground. Inda and Notandu jumped back, and fell down! The chimp tweaked Notandu’s nose, and ran off. Notandu and Inda chased the cheeky chimp, deeper and deeper, into the forest.
They stopped running.
“I don’t remember EVER being here”, said Inda. Notandu didn’t like hearing this.
Notandu looked back. The track was gone.
As they stood under the huge trees, Inda and Notandu felt very small.
“My father once told me…,” said Notandu, “…if ever I get lost in the big forest, turn back the way I came, and go uphill”. Inda looked back. It was uphill.
They turned and walked slowly upwards. Up, up, they went. But Inda started to cry.
“I don’t like being lost”, she said.
They stopped.
Above their heads, in the tree above them, they heard a cheeky giggle. It was the chimp. It had followed them.
The chimp jumped from the tree, and slowly walked towards Notandu and Inda. The chimp saw that Inda had been crying. It held out its hand towards Inda. Inda grabbed the chimp’s hand, and it gently pulled her away.
Soon, Notandu and Inda remembered the path they were walking. The chimp pulled on Inda’s hand, looking back every now and then.
“I remember this grass land”, said Notandu.
“Yes.”, said Inda, “Our village is over this hill. We are home now.”
Notandu and Inda began to play with the chimp.
He rolled all around the grass with Inda and Notandu. Jumping on their backs, tripping them over and tickling their sides. They laughed and laughed.
Soon, the sun began to drop in the distance. The grass became wet, and the warm day gently rolled into the cool afternoon. The friends looked at each other.
“Thank you, little chimp”, said Inda, as she kneeled down to hug him. He playfully ruffled Inda’s hair.
“You helped us get home”, said Notandu.
The little friends skipped up the track, towards their home. They looked back. The chimp sat, watching. He leapt from the ground and jumped onto a tree branch. Then he was gone.
The Big Man met Notandu and Inda at the front of the village. “You are late”. He said. The friends told the Big Man of their adventure, and all about their new friend.
“Oh, yes.” he said, “…you have met Chip”.
“I was lost in the forest when I was young. Chip, the cheeky chimp, led me home”.
The Big Man led the friends back to the village by the hand. On the way, they shared their stories.
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Meet these enchanting ponies and their friends. What do they like to do best? They love chatting with young riders and helping build their confidence.
