98 SAFARI 



porch without his collar of hot afternoons while his 

 wife takes in washing for a living. 



There is nothing more soothing to the nerves than 

 to see a balloon-like hippo half submerged in a nice 

 muddy river chewing its cud as if nothing in the wide 

 world mattered. Indeed, nothing does matter to 

 these placid beasts so long as there is water and fodder 

 enough to go around. 



A hippopotamus is very comical when frightened. 

 Like an obese ignoramus not used to being disturbed, 

 he loses his head in emergency and is quite incapable 

 of doing anything about the danger which threatens 

 him. 



I remember coming upon a pair in a big river pool 

 one hot afternoon. Immediately they submerged 

 like a pair of fat submarines. I think they must have 

 doubled their feet up under them for the water was 

 very shallow. But they could not stay under the 

 water for any length of time, since all hippos must 

 come up to breathe. 



Sure enough, in a few minutes two wide snouts 

 came panting and snorting to the scummy surface. 

 When the beady eyes discovered that I was still there 

 a great commotion ensued. More diving and snort- 

 ing and frantic fat efforts. 



The encounter ended tamely enough when both 

 beasts got out of breath and decided that it was no 

 use to scramble any longer. They simply settled 



