Lead by a slow moving turtle, an impatient squirrel and a young sheep traveled westward.
Chakik was not yet sure what to make of their new companion. The sheep bounced and moved more than even he. As they travelled, the squirrel found his only solace in the trees. Niether FastPile the turtle, or the new addition of the sheep could climb trees. So every chance he got, the squirrel scampered up the trunk of a nearby tree. He reveled in the feeling of his claws asking the bark for traction. Every tree moved and reacted differently to his quick clamber and he loved each paws grasp.
“Also sheep.” The lamb that had followed them along, unhindered by neither the sheep inside the fence, nor FastPile, could only say two words. “Also sheep.” FastPile seemed to know what they meant, but to Chakik they were like twigs in his ears. “Also sheep.” “Also sheep.” “Also sheep.” He heard it in his sleep. He heard it in his runs when he would scamper away from FastPile and enjoy a tree. The turtle never made such noisy noise. The only saving grace, was the lamb could not say “Don’t touch the fence.” Chakik knew those would be it’s next words for sure.
And now his tree time was diluted by requests to find food for Also. “I am too busy.” thought the squirrel, and he would often try to ignore the pleas of the sheep. Only when the turtle would slowly issue the command of “Chakik, food.” did he put a purpose to his climbing. From up high, he could see further than FastPile or Also, and so the responsibility of finding food fell to him.
“Why do we need a sheep?” asked Chakik.
“Why do you need a tail?” was FastPiles favorite answer.
Sometimes the turtle would respond with “Why do you need to climb?”
Neither of these questions could Chakik answer.
He tried “Because I have it.” for the first, but then it didn’t work for the latter.
“Because I love it.” Chakik thought was a good answer to both, but when FastPile agreed it was the anser to the first, he knew not to ask again.
So now the two became three. The turtle plodding along with his constant movement as always. But now the squirrel’s antics interrupted by keeping watch over this sheep.
Chakik was not happy.