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Speaker 1: Yo. Hello everyone, and welcome to the Animal Tales podcast,

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where you suggest the animal for us to write a

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story about. My name's Josephine and I've got a brand

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new animal story here just for you. There are now

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over one hundred extra stories on the Animal Tales premium service.

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Find out how to listen to them by visiting Animaltales

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dot uk and remember, for a tiny fee, they're all

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advert free. Archie is from Kenya and he would like

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a story with a mountain bongo and a mongoose. You

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can learn more about these creatures in the Animal Facts

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after the story. Now, settle back, relax, and I'll begin

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Bongo and mongo. Archie had never walked so far in

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his life. The mongoose had been fed up with dodging

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packs of hyaenas and lions, not to mention leopards popping

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out of nowhere and eagle circling above. Archie had to

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be constantly on the lookout for danger. Then, one day,

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while gazing at the distant mountains, the mongoose had decided

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that he was going to try living there instead. It

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had been a long and tiring journey. At one point

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in the foothills of the mountain. He'd foolishly hurt his ankle,

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making the last few hours even more difficult. But now

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high in the mountains, Archie was ready to rest. Rain

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had begun to fall, so finding shelter was the mongoose's

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first priority. Unfortunately, the few places he had searched already

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had a creature cowering there from the weather. Archie ended

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up huddled beneath a tree, rain drops dripping on his

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head from the leaves above. It would have to do.

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He curled into a tight ball and did his best

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to sleep. When Archie awoke, the sun had risen for

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a new day, with the rain long since passed. His

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muscles still ached, his stomach growled, and his ankle continued

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to throb, but at least he was rested. The mongoose

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looked about him and realized he'd stopped in a particularly

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attractive spot, just right for making his new home. There

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were no end of trees, a swift moving stream, and

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a good choice of large rocks ideal for sunbathing on.

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But sunbathing would have to wait. His stomach was complaining,

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so Archie decided to look for food. He sniffed the air,

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catching the unmistakable scent of delicious dates. It didn't take

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him long to find them. The fresh ripe fruit hanging

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from the branches of a tree. Archie's mouth was already watering.

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He began to climb, digging his claws into the bark,

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but almost immediately his injured ankle stopped him from going

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any further. It was just too painful. Carefully, he returned

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to the ground where he sat and rubbed his ankle.

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Now what do I do, he said to himself. Can

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I help? Asked a large striped antelope, poking her head

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and long horns around the tree. I was just hoping

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to get some breakfast, said Archie, getting back to his feet.

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But I'll manage. Don't let me trouble you if you're sure,

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said the antelope, as Archie attempted to climb again. He

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grunted as he tried to climb the trunk, but his

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ankle just wouldn't support him in achieving his goal. It

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really does look like you're having trouble there, said the antelope.

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I'm fine, Archie insisted, I don't need any help. The

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antelope cocked her head to one side, looking unsure. Suit yourself,

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she said, I'll be right over there if you change

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your mind. She walked a few paces away to graze

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on the grass, leaving Archie to turn attention back to

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the tree. He was a very independent mongoose and did

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his best to manage situations by himself. He was sure

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he could work this problem out if he thought about it.

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A long stick caught his eye, so he plucked it

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up and tried poking at the lowest hanging dates. It

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was no good. He was a little too short to reach.

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I'm Becky, by the way, the antelope announced, I'm a

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mountain bongo. We're quite rare. If you didn't know that,

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I wouldn't be surprised if you hadn't met a mountain

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bongo before. Archie was trying to concentrate, standing on his

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tippy toes as he swiped at the nearest date. I

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only mentioned that in case you were worried about asking

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a stranger for help. Becky, the mountain bongo, continued, cheerfully.

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You see now we're not strangers. By now, Archie had

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decided to throw the stick in an attempt to knock

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dates free. This instantly back fired when the stick got

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caught amongst the leaves, Failing to come back down. Whoops,

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said the mountain bongo. Not a problem, said Archie quickly.

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I can do this myself, although in all honesty he

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was wondering exactly how you know? If you hit the

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trunk with your head in just the right spot, it

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usually makes a few dates fall off, Becky said, appearing

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beside him. Archie frowned. He had politely said that he

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didn't need help, but here was the mountain Bongo trying

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to help him again, although if he hit the trunk

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he'd still be doing the work himself. Okay, said Archie.

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I'll give it a try. He gave the trees trunk

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a bump with his head, but all it did was

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make him feel so dizzy that he had to sit down.

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Spotting her chance, Becky swung her heavy horned head sideways,

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thumping the wood. Three fat dates came toppling down. You're

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a natural, Becky said, as Archie rubbed his skull. Oh yeah,

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he replied happily, as he spied the fallen dates. It worked.

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He picked up a date with each hand and started

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to eat. I'm Archie, he said, after the first swallow.

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I'm a mongoose. Oh a mongo said Becky delighted. How wonderful. No, no,

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said Archie. That's mongoose. Yes, a mongoe the mountain bongo,

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repeated mong goose, said Archie slowly. I'm pretty sure we're

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saying the same thing, said Becky with a smile. Archie

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gave up. It hardly mattered what she said, as he

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probably wouldn't ever see her again. Look, I've got to go,

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lots to do, he said, as he tucked into the

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last date. Um, nice to meet you, You too, mungo,

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Becky replied, And please, if you need anything, anything at all,

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don't be afraid to ask. Archie wandered away, shaking his head.

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There she goes, offering him help again. He'd live this

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long without any one giving him help before, so why

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would he need to ask for help. Now? Finding the

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spot where he'd spent the night, Archie decided to dig

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a burrow. If he was going to stay, he'd need

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somewhere proper to sleep. But it was hard work. The

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ground was full of rock and stone, while Archie's twisted

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at uncle wasn't making the task any easier. After just

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an hour, he'd made a hole just big enough to

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fit his head in. Is everything all right there, mongo,

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asked Becky from near by. It was the second time

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the mountain bongo had got close without him hearing her.

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How could an animal so big move so quietly? All good,

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thank you, he replied, Just digging, you small mammals and

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your holes, grinned Becky. Us mountain bongoes don't live in burrows.

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It would take us forever to dig one big enough.

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Archy smirked at the thought of it, but was determined

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to press on. You know, said Becky, there's a rock

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hier axe who lives near here. I'm sure he wouldn't

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mind coming over to give you a hand with your hole. No,

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thank you, I don't need help, said Archie quickly. I'm

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quite capable of digging my own hole. I know what

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I'm doing. I'm not saying you don't, said Becky gently.

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It's just that sometimes a little help can be well helpful.

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No thanks, insisted the mongoose. I can do this fine

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on my own, very well, mongo. Becky shrugged, But do hurry,

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there's more rain on the way. Archie didn't want another

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damp night beneath the tree, so he dug and dug

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and dug until his paws were caked in dirt. By

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the time the rain started. He had a hole just

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big enough to squeeze inside. Although the tip of his

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tail poked out. At least he could say that he

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dug it all by himself. Worn Out by his labors,

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the mongoose was soon fast asleep. Waking later than normal,

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Archie unfolded from his simple hole and stretched. It was

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another glorious morning and time for breakfast. But he'd only

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gone a handful of steps when, to his surprise, he

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almost fell into another burrow. It looked really nice and

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would be the perfect size for a mongoose. Strangely, when

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he sniffed around, the burrow didn't appear to be lived in.

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Wriggling inside, Archie found the burrow to be cozy and warm.

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It would be ideal for him. But did it matter

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that he hadn't dug it himself. No, he convinced himself.

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Finding a nice abandoned burrow was still good work on

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his part. Satisfied with his new home, Archie went in

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search of food. Perhaps some termites or a bird egg,

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or even a fat juicy were more two. He was

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nosed deep in a pile of leaves when a twig

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snapped behind him. He just knew it was that mountain

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bongo again, trying to sneak up on him. Well not

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this time. I told you I don't need any help,

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he announced as he lifted his head from the leaves.

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But it wasn't the kind eyes of the bongo. This

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time it was the toothy grin of a hungry jackal.

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What's this, smiled the jackal? Dinner? Archie didn't hang about.

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He ran for it, the jackal giving chase. Normally, Archie's

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sighs and speed allowed him to give a predator the slip,

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but that was when he didn't have a twisted ankle.

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The mongoose wasn't nearly as fast as he hobbled along,

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meaning Archie was in terrible danger. He could hear the

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jackal's thumping footsteps and feel its hot, panting breath on

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his back. Surely this time he was done for A

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gap at the base of a tree offered him a chance.

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He leapt, just as something flew over his head to

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collide with his pursuer in a noisy collision. Poking his

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head out from under the roots, Archie could see Becky,

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the mountain bongo, stood over the sprawling jackal. Maybe I

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should give you a close up look of my spiraling horns,

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she threatened. I I rather not, whimpered the jackal. She

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allowed it to crawl out from under her, where it

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sprinted away with its tail between its legs. I really

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didn't need your help, Archie insisted. See I'd have been

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quite safe beneath these tree roots. But he did almost

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catch you, pointed out Becky. You could hardly run, but

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I did escape, said Archie, determined to show that he'd

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coped by himself. I really didn't need your help, mongo.

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You are a funny creature, said Becky with a smile.

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Just because you don't want help doesn't mean you don't

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need it. Archie sagged his shoulders. I know, he sighed.

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It's just that I've always had to look after myself.

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Us mountain Bongoes help one another all the time, Becky explained.

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We care for one another when we're sick, and we

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scratch each other's backs when we can't quite reach. Don't

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you want that kind of help too? Archie had to

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think about this as he limped out of his hiding place.

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I've never had anyone I could rely on like that,

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he said. A mongoose has to get by on their own.

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There's never been any one to help me. All I'm saying,

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Becky said softly, is that it's nice to be independent,

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but if you're going to live here in the mountains,

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it doesn't have to be alone. Archie nodded. The bongo

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was right. My foot really hurts after that running, he said,

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Would you mind carrying me home? I'd love to, said Becky.

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Hop On, Can I ask you a question, asked Archie

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from the bongo's back. Of course, she replied, what is it?

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A burrow? Just perfect for a mongoose seems to have

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appeared overnight, right next to where I was digging. Did

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you and your rock hiax friend have anything to do

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with that, wondered the mongoose, maybe, grinned Becky. You're not

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mad with me, are you? Mongo No, said Archie and

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realized he really meant it. I really appreciate it. Animals

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fat mongoose species are found throughout Central and southern Africa,

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southern Europe, and southern Asia. Most mongoose species are solitary animals,

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although some can live in groups. Mountain bongoes have a

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reddish brown coat of hair with thin white stripes running

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along their backs. They are the third largest antelers on

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the planet. Bongos can live in groups of around eight individuals,

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although males often keep to themselves. They are active from

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dusk until dawn, preferring to sleep during the day. Thank

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you for your suggestions, Archie. We hope that you all

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enjoyed the story. Wherever you're listening in the world, don't

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forget to look at our animal Tales books. Discover them

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all at animaltales dot uk. Great bedtime reading, especially if

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you've discovered the joy of reading for yourself. Make sure

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you join us next time for another great animal tale. Goodbye,