KARIM MEETS THE MYSTERIOUS
STRANGERS...
As
they get closer to the river, Karim starts to walk on tiptoe.
He sees that there are even more branches and logs in the
water. He looks around and thinks that there is no one there
at all. He is about to call out to his brother, when he suddenly
sees two lovely animals floating on the water. He hides. Not
having spotted Karim, the animals continue to work. Soon his
brother, whose name is Imran, comes and whispers to Karim
in astonishment: "So it was the beavers who cut down the trees
and carried them into the water." Karim is so happy to see
live beavers, which he has seen in books but has not known
much about. They watch these two hard-working, interesting
animals all day.
From
behind the trees, Karim and Imran watch the lovable
beavers and the amazing task they continue to carry
out, unaware they are being watched.
|
Karim's brother tells him that the beavers are
trying to dam the water so as to build a home. The behaviour
of beavers is astonishing. They place the branches they are
carrying in their mouths in front of the largest log which
they had previously dragged into the water. Then they come
up on to the bank and head towards a nearby tree. One of the
beavers first feeds on the leaves of the tree, then starts
to gnaw the tree bark with its teeth. It gnaws the wood around
the tree trunk, equally from each side. It keeps doing this
until the breaking point of the tree looks like a sharpened
pencil.
As the beaver gnaws the tree trunk, Karim wonders
how this small animal will carry the huge tree. At that very
moment, the tree falls into the water, solving the problem
of how it will be carried.
Then
the other beaver comes and starts to gnaw a tree, which, again,
directly falls into the water. Then another, then another,
then another... All the trees which the beavers cut down break
and fall into the water. It is as if the beavers start gnawing
the trees after making calculations to ensure that they will
fall into the water.
Karim is surprised because he had not thought
of such a way of avoiding carrying the trees. He tells Imran
what he thinks and finds that he is of the same opinion:
Imran: To be honest, I couldn't think of how to do
it either. But I read about it once. Beavers calculate how
to make the tree fall into the water and gnaw the tree at
a particular angle. But when they fail, as they sometimes
do, they drag the tree into the water with their teeth. Karim,
I think this is enough for today. Would you like me to tell
you more about beavers when we get back to the camp? We could
read about them if you want.
Karim: Yes, I'd love to do that. I am
amazed at how beavers can make such calculations and act so
intelligently. It is also confusing. Why do they dam the river
to build a home? Don't their teeth wear out with eating bark?
I've got lots of questions about this. I could talk about
them all night.
Before
setting about working, beavers feed on the leaves they
have collected, and this gives them energy.
|
Imran: OK, but we must return to the
camp now. We've lost track of the time chatting, and it's
almost dark. Let's go back before mom starms worrying about
us. Besides, I feel sleepy and tired. Come on, hurry up.
They hurry back to the camp in a rush. However,
questions keep crossing Karim's mind on the way. Once they
are back in the camp, they eat the delicious meal their mother
has prepared for them. Then they look up beavers in their
books. But Karim realizes that Imran has fallen asleep. So
Karim starts to read on his own.This leaves Karim alone with
the questions on his mind. So he makes a new plan. He will
meet the beavers the next morning and will learn from them
what they do. Shortly after he falls asleep too...

You
can see the trees cut down by beavers. Never forget
that these small animals which chop down huge trees
act by the inspiration of Allah.
|
|