The Aardvark With The Tickly Nose

One day in the plains of Africa, Furaha the lioness cub and Orko were chasing each other across the grasslands in a delightful game of tag. “You’ll never catch me, Orko!” laughed Furaha. “Oh yeah, well I bet I could catch you if you paid me a million pounds!” “There’s no money or greed in Africa!” called Furaha, before she screeched to a halt and pounced onto Orko, tickling him playfully. “Hey! No! That tickles!” cried Orko.

At last, Furaha rolled over onto her back and giggled with Orko, then they both started to relax together, the air of Africa quiet enough to concentrate on their minds and bodies, as the grasses swayed against their skin and fur. Orko wasn’t wearing his robe, because it was too hot in Africa, so he only wore his hat, scarf and red silk skirt. Furaha enjoyed days like this: running around playing in the grasslands and then lying down to relax in the spindly grasses. It was a sunshining day.

However, the peace was not to last - in a playful way that is. A long nose peered out through the grass and started to tickle Furaha. How she laughed! Orko at once woke up, disturbed by the sudden laughter. “What? What is it, what’s going on?” “A nose just tickled me!” giggled Furaha. “Don’t be silly, Furaha, noses don’t tickle people!” fibbed Orko, but by ‘fibbed’, I meant he was quite wrong, because the nose peered through the spindly grasses and tickled Orko’s skin, causing him to laugh loudly in a playful cackle. “Alright, who’s doing this,” laughed Furaha, trying to hold her laughter back.

As if on cue, out of the grasses came an aardvark, with said long nose wiggling about. “So that’s what this is all about!” gasped Orko. “That aardvark wants to play a tickling game with us!” “We’d be happy to play your game with you, Mr. Aardvark, count us in!” said Furaha. “And me too!” called Orko.

The aardvark nodded, its nose wiggling, and the tickling began. The aardvark began to tickle them everywhere - their necks, tummies, legs, arms and toes. Aardvarks are natural ticklers, or at least that’s what Furaha thinks, because of their long noses. All day long they tickled each other.

Furaha tickled Orko, Orko tickled Furaha, Furaha and Orko tickled the aardvark, and the aardvark, obviously, tickled them.

When Furaha and Orko returned to the acacia tree that night to tell Optimus about their encounter with the aardvark, he was nowhere to be seen. The two looked around in the darkness for their friend, until they saw a giant hand poking out from behind the tree. At once, Furaha and Orko began to giggle, and at once…

“BOO!” shouted Optimus, leaping out from behind the tree and startling Furaha and Orko. “Oh my goodness, what a fright!” giggled Furaha, and Optimus started tickling them. Furaha and Orko laughed as Optimus tickled them endlessly, until they started yawning, indicating they were very tired.

Optimus picked the two friends up in his strong arms and cuddled them softly. He sat by the large rock that stood near the acacia tree and hummed a soothing lullaby as he cradled them in his arms, knowing they’re safe and secure in the African moonlight.