Good Morning, Gorillas - Mary Pope Osborne [7]
“What are you doing?” Annie asked.
“She’s looking for bugs, I think,” said Jack.
“Oh, yuck!” said Annie, sitting up.
Jack laughed. Just then, the baby’s mother reached for him.
“Oops! No thanks! No bugs on me!” he said, and he sat up, too.
The mother gorilla lay back in the grass and closed her eyes. Her baby crawled over to Annie.
“Hi, Little Guy,” Annie said tenderly. She picked up the baby and stroked his head. The baby smiled at her and closed his eyes.
While all the gorillas napped, Jack sneaked the book out of his pack. He found the gorilla chapter. He read softly to Annie:
Gorillas are very smart. A captive gorilla named Koko has even learned sign language. Sign language is a special language used by people who cannot hear. Koko can say—
“What?” Annie said loudly. “Sign language? A special language?”
Her voice woke Bu-bu and Ho-ho. They sat up and rubbed their eyes.
“So?” said Jack.
“Morgan’s secret rhyme!” said Annie. “Don’t you remember?” She repeated the rhyme:
To find a special kind of magic
in worlds so far apart,
speak a special language,
talk with your hands and heart.
“Oh … yeah!” said Jack.
“I even know a little sign language,” said Annie. “In school, we learned how to sign I love you.”
Annie held up a closed hand. Slowly she lifted her thumb, index finger, and little finger. She showed the sign to Bu-bu and Ho-ho.
“I—love—you,” she said slowly.
The small gorillas looked curious.
Jack made the sign, too.
“I—love—you,” he said to Bu-bu and Ho-ho.
The two little gorillas stared at Annie and Jack. Then both of them held up their hands. They tried to make the same sign.
“They love us, too!” said Annie.
“Wow,” said Jack. He glanced over at Big Guy.
The silverback’s eyes were open! He was watching them. Jack quickly closed the book. To his relief, the giant gorilla turned over.
“Well,” Annie said with a sigh, “I guess that does it.”
“We spoke a special language,” said Jack. “We talked with our—” Before he could finish his sentence, Bu-bu pushed him.
“Whoa!” said Jack.
Ho-ho held his little arms above his head. He reared back and charged at Jack. With a flying tackle, he knocked Jack over.
“What’s going on?” said Jack.
“They want to play with you!” said Annie.
Bu-bu jumped on Jack and put him in a headlock. Jack broke free from the two small gorillas. He jumped up and dashed into the forest.
Bu-bu and Ho-ho charged after him.
Annie carried Little Guy and followed. She laughed as the small gorillas looked for Jack.
Jack hid behind a tree. He pushed his glasses into place. He waited for Bu-bu.
In a moment, she walked by.
“BOO!” Jack shouted, jumping out.
Bu-bu screeched and leaped straight up in the air. Jack cracked up laughing.
Bu-bu didn’t laugh, though. She bit her lip. She hid her face behind her hands.
“Ohhh, Bu-bu,” said Annie. “Don’t be scared.”
She gently put the baby on the ground. She reached out to comfort Bu-bu.
Bu-bu wrapped her arms around Annie’s neck. She buried her furry head in Annie’s shoulder.
“Jack was just playing,” said Annie.
Bu-bu raised her head. She looked at Jack over Annie’s shoulder.
“Friends?” he asked softly.
Bu-bu stuck her tongue out at him.
Jack laughed. Bu-bu showed her teeth in a big smile.
“Friends!” said Jack.
Just then, Ho-ho started screeching. Jack and Annie looked around. Ho-ho was pointing into the bushes.
“Where’s Little Guy?” said Annie. She and Jack dashed around the shrubs.
The baby had crawled to a tree. He was looking up at a branch.
A huge, sleek cat with black fur was sitting on the branch. His pale green eyes stared down at the baby gorilla. He looked hungry.
“A black leopard,” breathed Jack.
The leopard leaped lightly down from his perch. He faced Little Guy. The baby looked scared.
“No!” cried Annie.
She ran over to the baby gorilla and scooped him into her arms.
The leopard let out a snarl. He lowered his head and started slowly toward Annie and the baby.
Jack panicked. He didn’t know what to do at first. Then he