Running Wild Ch 7-8

Don't Do Nothing!

 DON'T DO NOTHING!

Like most people, I’m assuming you know about the orangutans. By that I don’t mean the amazing monkeys who are one of our closest relatives. No, what I mean when I say that is about all their habitat loss, the endangered species who are thought to be extinct in the wild by 2050. But that's horrible! We share around 97% of our DNA with them. So why are we letting them die out? How could we be so cruel?

Like most animals, the orangutan has emotions. Animals aren’t cold hearted like we think. They have feelings, bonds and friendship. But we try to take that all away from them. We’re stripping them of who they are. So it will not surprise you when I tell you that the main reason of habitat loss is because of us. That’s right. Doesn’t matter how kind you think you are, you’re just sitting there letting it happen. Palm oil. Huh, what's palm oil? Well, we use it everyday, you can find it in soap, biscuits, shampoo, crisps and even lipstick! But how does palm oil relate to deforestation? We, us, the humans burn down the forest. We burn it down, destroy it, kill it. All so we can plant palm oil. And it's killing everything. We’re killing everything. We’re getting rid of the forests to satisfy our own greedy needs.

The orangutan has never hurt us. We’re hurting them. Hunters are killing them or selling the babies as pets. How horrible is that?! The orangutan isn’t the only animal being affected by this, tigers, elephants and more are all suffering from the same thing. Animals can die out. But we don’t seem to realise that. We don’t do anything. Take the vaquita. They are the most endangered marine animal in the WORLD. And do you know how many are left in the wild? 20. Only 20 are left. Or the saola, being one of the world's rarest mammals. And do you know how many of them are left in the wild? Under 750. This is just appalling. But for those of you who think ‘Ah well, that's too bad. Well, it doesn't affect me.’ it does affect you. Every time an animal dies out it leaves behind a scar. Take the dodo. The dodo is frequently known as one of the most known examples of human induced extinction. Yip, we got rid of the dodo. They were extinct by 1681. 

Have you ever heard of kōkako? If you live in New Zealand you probably have. The North Island kōkako is endangered. The South Island kōkako is extinct. Rewards of $10,000 are being offered for anyone who provides information that leads to the confirmation that the species is still alive. But the chances are that the kōkako is gone. And we’re just desperately trying to tell ourselves ‘No, its not gone. We’ll find it. It’s just hiding. We’ve done nothing wrong.’ but reflecting on the past won’t save the world. We destroyed it. So we have to save it.

Wow, this is the last activity for Running Wild. We've finished the book and I can DEFINITELY say that the ending was more than a bit unexpected. It was a really good book and I 100% recommend it. I've done lots of other activities around Running Wild, I just haven't posted them! I will try and post some of them though, just maybe not all of them.

Running Wild Ch 3-4: Oona's Story and Tsunami!

 CHAPTER 3

I don’t get these humans. They like to ride on me. Pat me. And feed me. I’m not one of their young. So why do they treat me like this? I don’t look like them. I’m grey, and wrinkly with huge ears and a long trunk. Maybe they are blind. That sounds about right. But the young in any species is always smaller the the elders. And I’m way bigger than their elders. 

This morning started off normal for me. The young human who looks after me came and got me. We went to go have our daily morning swim but I couldn’t. The Sea is my friend. It has always been my friend. But today it was not being friendly. There was a dark, angry mood about her. She is normally calm and happy. She cares for her young, the fish. But today she was wild and evil. I didn’t like it. I didn’t want to be near her. I knew something bad was going to happen. I had to get as far away from her as possible. ‘Oona! Calm down, Oona!’ the human says to me. His kind voice calms me down, takes me back to reality. But my fear remains, deep inside of me, waiting for the moment to jump out and flee.

Some days, the humans that go for rides on me are cruel. They say harsh words and yell at me. Other times they are to loud, to quiet or to annoying. I’ve met good ones before. But not often. The human youngling who got on me today was different. He was quiet, but not to quiet and he wasn’t loud. He wasn’t annoying or angry. He was sad, he had been sad for a long time. I could tell. But when he was riding me he let go of his sadness that hung over him. And that made me feel good. I liked this boy. He reminded me of my young. That I left long ago. I miss them. But I was taken by cruel hunters. Then people saved me and within the year I was with my kind human, that has become a second family for me. But this boy felt more like family than the human ever had. But then the fear rooted deep inside my heart jumped out. I panicked, the Sea was retreating fast and leaving its dead young gasping for air (well, more like water), the young she loved with all her heart. And she was just… killing them. It was not right, this wasn’t her. But that didn’t mean she wouldn’t hurt me and the boy. So I fled.

‘Oona! Come back! Oona, please!’ the human yelled urgently. But I couldn’t. Maybe he would follow me. I hoped he would. He didn’t deserve to die. The boy was screaming. But he was hurting my friend, the Wind. He was taking great bites out of her. So I went faster. So it hurt to scream. So he stopped. The Wind was sore, but she was worried about the Sea. She went to investigate. Her children, the birds wouldn’t come. They have the same survival instinct as me. 

The youngling was calming down now. He had gotten used to the way I moved up and down through the Jungle. He knew to cling on to me, so he wouldn’t fall. The youngling was smart. But after a while he started moaning, ‘Oona, water, please’. We passed creaks and streams and little gullies. But I couldn’t stop to drink. In my home I had watched a member of my herd get bitten by a crocodile. He died of his wounds two days later.  Now, I only drink water when absolutely necessary. 

Eventually the moans became louder and more urgent. His grip slackend and I knew I would have to take the risk. The next time I saw water it was in the form of a big river, leading into an even bigger pond. The water was murky with big boulders, the perfect hiding place for crocodiles. But he needed water. Carefully I trotted down to the pool. I was anxious and ready to bolt away at the sign of any movement. Once we were near the water I got down on my knees to let the youngling off. He smiled regretfully at me then ran towards the water. Taking big sips of it, as if it were the purest Rain. He was gulping it down urgently, like his life depended on it. But he didn’t see the crocodile.

A big ugly thing, with hard spikes and scales covering its long lean body. I panicked and nearly bolted. But something was stopping me. A mothers instinct. So I stood my ground. I trumpeted, loud and shrill. The boy heard and looked around. His eyes stopped on the crocodiles. They had a staring contest. Then he retreated very carefully. Never turning his back to the crocodile. But then the crocodile ran for him. 

The youngling screamed, ‘HELP!’. I barged forward, and scooped him up with my trunk. He crawled up my trunk, onto my head then got back into the seat strapped on top of me. Before my cousin suffered from that fatal attack, I would have charged any crocodile head on, but I was wiser now. And besides, I had my young charge to look after. I ran into the Jungle, being careful not to run at the rushing waves. The same waves that belonged to the Sea. That belong to my friend, who has been taken over by evil forces.

CHAPTER 4

The Jungle is a fascinating place. Full of flowers and hundreds of different shades of green. It looks kind and inviting. A place where you would book a holiday. But its not like that. All the bright colours are just there to hide the fact that the Jungle is lethal. All the rulers have children. The Sky has birds. The Sea has fish. The Plains have lions. And so on. But the Jungle has no children. For a time I thought the elephants were the children of the Jungle. But no living creature can rule the Jungle. The Jungle is wild, untamable and lethal. 

After the encounter with the crocodile the youngling was shaken. Scared. Like me. When I was only a youngling myself I was scared of the Jungle. As I grew older it became a place of refuge. But after a couple of years I learnt how to be scared of the Jungle. Be scared, without letting that fear control you was the bravest and wisest anyone could be.

All the annoying monkeys were heading up the Trees. Monkeys never face their fear head on, they just hide in their forefather. But for once I was grateful for their cowardice. The last thing I needed was for them to get up to their monkey antics. Ugh, I shudder at the thought to think of some of my more wild encounters with them. 

The tigers were running too. But they had no forefather so they could be excused from this. Any animal without one was allowed to run during times of crisis. Those with a forefather were expected to help. At times I was grateful for this and other times I wanted a forefather more than anything. To be the king of something was an honour. Some of the animals, most of the animals had just a certain type of flower or bush. But they weren’t part of the great ones. The powerful ones. The elephants had ivory, but you couldn’t hide in ivory could you. So like the few animals without a forefather I had the same rules. Tigers had lilies. But like ivory, you couldn’t hide in a lilly. It is strange to think that an animal such as a tiger would come from a flower. But flowers are beautiful, delicate and some can be deadly. It is even weirder to think that cats can be allergic to a lilly. But the tigers are like that.

Butterflies have hibiscus. A beautiful, sweet smelling flower. That one makes sense to me. The butterflies are frantically gathering nectar before flying off to safety.  I follow them as they know the best places to find safety. I trudge up a hill where I can see the beach, amidst the other panicked animals. Once a calm, peaceful place for getting sun tans had turned into a graveyard. We all stand there together, united as one. I don’t think the youngling notices all the different animals together. Without attacking each other or even snarling.

The boy is sleepy, and I suspect he has just woken up. He gazes down at the beach for a few seconds. Then he looks away. He doesn’t seem to understand what is going on. Then he realizes. All the gears inside of him are whirring and flicking around until they find their answer. He began to cry. ‘My m-m-mum was s-s-swimming down there. B-b-by the h-h-hotel. W-w-where the w-w-water is n-now.’. I trumpet softly, trying to cheer him up. The other animals join in and soon we are the Jungle chorus. Tigers roaring, snakes hissing, toucans and parrots squawking along to my trumpeting. Even the monkeys joined in, as we could hear their screeches from the Jungle.

The tragedy had brought us together. Hummingbirds and butterflies were flying all around us, diving and dipping.  The surging tidal waves had been awful, and none of us wanted it to happen. But it did happen and we can’t change that.  ‘My n-n-name is W-will.’ the youngling stutters. Well, now he has a name. Will.

Then the chaos starts. A snake sneaks up on a parrot. The bird dies, a terrible death, a painful horrible death. The birds get spooked so they all fly up. The monkeys who were begining to crawl towards us race back into the Jungle. Tigers attack the snake. For tigers are noble creatures, who can’t abide rule breakers. Especially when it ends with ones life ended. The snake is killed quickly. A swift death, one that it did not deserve. It deserved something crueler. But the tigers are merciful. However the snakes don’t see eye to eye with the tigers. Soon there is an all out fight with death everywhere. Death, death, death, an endless cycle.

I have to get Will out of here. He is to young to know death like this. His mother is gone, a victim of the Sea. His father is not mentioned but I have a feeling he is dead. But this death is not like the death he knows. This death is from greed. And no one, no matter their age should know of this. So I flee.

Run. I crash back into the Jungle. Racing past flowers and fruits and creeks. Will is screaming again. But then he stops as quickly as he started. He realised I saved him. If we had stayed I would have been next, and without me Will cannot last in the Jungle. He needs me. But what he doesn’t know is I need him.

Animals are bursting from the clearing on hill. Trying to get away from the chaos. The whole time I know the water is getting closer and the only way to run is around the hill and away from the Sea.  Shrieks and cries of pain are everywhere. If we animals knew the secret of Fire, there would be fire everywhere. The song of the mosquitos is our soundtrack as flee. Buzzz, buzzzz, buzzz. This new world is different from the peaceful choir from minutesa go. Will is clutching on to me tight. I would say the rush of adrenaline thrilled me but it doesn’t. Not when animals are dying. Not when betrayal, heart ache and pain is the new way of the Jungle. 

After hours of endless running I stop. Will hasn’t eaten in ages and needs food. He also sould have some water. Above us are multicolured fruit beckoning us forward, begging us to eat them. Normally I would be suspicious of such fruit but I have had this type before and know it is safe. I pull big branches loaded with the stuff down so Will can grab at them. He does and every moment I watch him eat, juice dribbling down his pale cheeks, I realise that Night is coming. The Night is coming. I don’t want to ruin this moment. But he needs shelter. And the last place I saw with shelter was the...clearing.

I have no choice. I walk slowly, cautiously back to the clearing. Bodies are everywhere. Will is scared, he doesn’t understand. But below the clearing, in side of the hill, is a little cave. Nights children, the bats stay there. But the bats help lost souls. I am sure Will and I count. The cave is dark, with jagged rocks everywhere. Will seems to understand now. I crouch down, and Will climbs off. After much struggling he pulls the seat off and rest it on the cave floor before curling up it inside it. I can’t go to bed yet. I must see the bats. 

Trudging through the cave, sleep beckons me. Come on Oona. It’s nice and warm in here. Just curl up and go to bed. But if I don’t see the bats they will attack us. When I finally get to them, they are kind and considerate about the situation. When they fly in the night they will tell all the other bats that we have safe passage through all the caves and that the bats must protect us. I am grateful and happy. 

Curling up next to Will, the world feels right again. I wish i could tell him how much I needed him. How much I loved him. But Will does it for me. He heard me leaving and saw me come back and curl up next to him. ‘I need you Oona, don’t leave me. I love you. You’re my family now.’

My reading has started reading Running Wild by Michael Morpurgo. So far we've read the first three chapters. I won't say much in case I spoil the book, but its REALLY GOOD! The writing we had to rewrite what happened in Chapter 3-4 from Oona's point of view. I added a few things in that didn't happen in the story. The tsunami was about the big tsunami in 2004. We had to write what it would be like if WE were there when it happened. (You may need to zoom in to read the words properly)

Week 3

This week when we have read Alone on a Wide Wide Sea, Marty and Arthur escaped the evil Piggy Bacon, found a home with Aunty Megs, grew up, got a job and SPOILER ALERT, Marty dies. For this activity we chose a quote from Aunty Megs and wrote about it.

Coopers Station Survival Kit (Week 1)

 COOPERS STATION SURVIVAL KIT (only $9.99)

Welcome to Coopers Station! Prepare yourselves to be beaten, worked like slaves, starved and maybe even killed! You don’t want that? Why? Oh, okay. I understand. Well, good luck, I can’t help ya. ‘Cause that place is NOT the paradise you thought it would be. Don’t look at me like that, ya making me feel bad. Fine. I’ll help, but I can’t say my advice will be the key to your survival, ya might not even survive with these instructions! But they might give you a chance.

Equipment:

1. Resilience, trust me ya gonna need a ‘hole bucket load of this stuff.

2. Silence, if ya talk all the time, ya gonna get the strap all the time.

3. Strength, ya gonna need dis a LOT

4. Friends, it's bad enough with ‘em, imagine what it ‘ill be like without ‘em. They also make great shields.

5. Hope, ya need ta think it will get better. Otherwise ya don’t stand a chance.

6. Also lots of metal. Like if ya a robot that would be awesome. (Ya know, in case ‘e tries to shoot ya)

7. But ya best weapon will be NERF GUNS! Try and travel to da future so ya can stock up on this vital equipment.

Method:

1. Don’t talk back to Piggy. That is one of the WORST things you can do. Why? Well, ya get beaten if ya do. SO BE POLITE!

2. Don’t call ‘im Piggy, ‘e is Mr Bacon, though feel free to taunt ‘im all your want behind ‘is back. BUT ONLY WHEN ‘ES NOT THERE!

3. Don’t go around looking. Ya will see stuff and ya will regret it, especially if ya get caught. SO DON’T GET SEEN IF YA DO!

4. One of the worst things you could possibly do is slack off work. Ya will be strapped. AND JEEZ LOUIS DOES IT HURT!

5. Eat as much food and drink as served to ya. Ya will need it. Ya don’t wanna get dehydrated or collapse of exhaustion out on the farm. EAT YA GREENS!

6. Make sure ya obey him. ‘E will not tolerate it an’ ya will regret it later. BE NICE!

7. Always pray and be all holy. ‘E likes God, so ya do to. AMEN!

8. At Sunday, always sing the songs and pretend to be listening. LA LA LA LA!

9. One of the great things about Sunday is the food. Eat as much as ya can an’ don’t be afraid to save some for later. FOOD! GLORIOUS FOOD!

10. An’ one of the most important things is to do what ‘e says. This will be crucial to ya survival. CRUCIAL!

Well, that's it from me. I hope ya make it, I really do. But try and follow my instructions. Also make sure ya bring lots of presents for ol’ Piggy. Aim and Fire! (Silent and violent works best).

In school this term my reading group has been reading Alone on a Wide Wide Sea. It is by Michael Morpurgo. I didn't have the time to post it until now but once I'm up to date I'll be posting once a week. This is when we first started the book. Miss Leigh and Miss Panther said to write it like joke instructions, so this is why it isn't very serious.

Hana

Letter to Mrs Hatchet  

Dear Mrs Hatchet, 

Before you read this story I want to tell you about Hana. She is a very imaginative little girl. I know she has been through a rough patch, but this is almost certainly a trick to try and annoy me. She is a very disobedient child who deserves to be punished. As you are the principal of this school, the responsibility falls to you. As her teacher I cannot do anything. This is a good piece of writing but hardly the sort of thing an eleven year old would write for a memoir (the memoir is for a school assignment. You will obviously understand my anguish once you have read it). 

Yours truly, 

Miss Milady 

The Memoir 

I don’t remember any of it. My real mother, the brother who had saved my life, or if I had any other siblings. I don’t know my father, or my grandparents. I don’t know what religion my family were. I don’t know what it is like to be a kid. Ever since I was little my life has been... not great. It started when I was a baby and my brother gave me to a stranger on a lifeboat in the hope it would save my life. And it did. What followed was a long journey to Greece. It wasn’t that far away, but the boat was steered off course. Eventually lifeguards found us and brought us in. I was raised in a beautiful country and had a lovely home. My mother was kind, if distant, so I had a happy childhood. 

 Well, not really. Shortly before I turned six, my mother died. I don’t know what it was, but I think it may have been intentional. She wasn’t very well. After that mishap, a policeman and his wife adopted me. That was TERRIBLE. It was like been raised by the devil, himself. I spent three miserable years there. They were cruel and didn’t care whether I lived or died. I was so miserable, but I didn’t dare turn them in. I was a kid with a bad track record. Chances were I would spend the rest of my life there. As I got older it got worse, the beatings increased and the verbal abuse was really bad. I got so scared that I turned them in. By then I was nine. 

 Finally a kind old woman adopted me after three months in a home. The home was nice but loud and crowded. It was a great relief for my ears. Her name was Lillieth Herring. She was the closest thing to a grandmother I ever had. However I was not so lucky with school. I spent two years being bullied and treated like dirt, 2028 was a different story altogether. I was sick of it all and stood up for myself. So you really understand how it is like for me, I have included some of my diary entries. 

 23.2.2028 

My life sucks. I want to meet my family. I want this bullying to stop. Oh, I HATE Miss Milady. She is pure EVIL! Two weeks ago she set us a family tree assignment. As she told the class, I SWEAR ON MY LIFE that she was giving me the evil eye. She thinks she can fool everyone. A sweet blonde lady with bright blue eyes and a sing song voice. She's EVIL. LIKE REALLY EVIL!!! I was so embarrassed today when everyone was talking about their interesting family and all I had was a page with two people on it. TWO! And then Miss Milady said that I couldn’t include myself. The laughter just went on and on. 

24.2.2028 

I’m in trouble. BIG TROUBLE. I’m so worried. I’m going to wait a little before I go home and let Ms Herring cool down. I don’t care if Miss Milady hates me, but if Ms Herring is disappointed in me... I can’t cope with that. Mwa ha ha ha!! Ms Herring thinks that I’m awesome and all I was doing was standing up for myself. She even let me choose tea! Take that, Miss Milady!! 

25.2.2028

Wow, I was so caught up in all my glory yesterday that I forgot to write what happened. Everyone was being particularly horrible to me, so at lunch I climbed on to the playground and started a protest against the school. Then when the teachers tried to get me down... I attacked them. Yeah, I bet nobody was expecting that. 

26.2.2028 

I started another protest today. This time two girls called Calliope and Zoe joined in. 

12.7.2028 

 I’m sorry I haven’t written for so long. Normally I write everyday. Calli, Zo and I have started a schoolyard revolution against the evil Miss Milady. Ha ha, you evil old witch. WE have wiped her simpering smile off her face. Ms Herring thinks I’ve gone too far this time. I can’t stand her to be disappointed me. I have to stop. 

21.7.2028 

We’ve been doing Greek Mythology in school. I already know heaps so I’m doing pretty well. 

28.7.2028 

Miss Milady has gone too far this time. She is going to pay. I just don’t know how yet.

31.7.2028

Miss Milady says that we have to do a memoir. Well, mine is going to be interesting. 

(This is the end of the diary entries)

Well, there you have it. The extremely topsy turvy life of Hana Herring. Oh, and I’ve figured out my revenge. It just hasn’t happened yet.

Letter to Miss Milady

Miss Milady, 

If what I am reading is true, you are in BIG trouble. You are behaving horribly and I am going to do an interview with Hana and her guardian. Count yourself lucky if I don’t fire you! One thing is for sure; you are going to have to APOLOGIZE to this poor little girl.

Angrily,

Mrs Hatchet

The Final Diary Entry 

1.8.2028

The memoir writing is over and I have my revenge. The memoir WAS my revenge. I knew that it would infuriate Miss Milady, and that she would show Mrs Hatchet. Well, Mrs Hatchet lives up to her name and I know that. I also know that can’t stand the thought of her school’s reputation being tarnished. 

I haven’t found my family. I doubt that I ever will. But I have Ms Herring, Calli and Zo, and of course my revenge! MWA HA HA!!

In class we've been reading the book refugee, and we have finally finished it! It was REALLY good! It ended kind of sad but happy at the same time. Hana was nevere reunited with her family and for this activity I wrote what HER ending would look like. I hope you enjoy.

Hitler and his Nazis

After I finished my reading work I had to start some extra work related to the book. I chose to do about Hitler as one of the main characters is a Jewish boy in Nazi Germany.

Welcome