Dream

Commended Entry: "Dream" by Grace Young from the USA

This article was submitted in the Kids World Travel Guide Essay Competition 2023 in the Junior Category 8 - 11 years.

Dream

I run and run trying to defend myself. I get lucky but my family does not. They're killed, dead, gone, for the greed of poachers. I am Sueño, Spanish for Dream, a Southern White Rhino. I’ve spent my life running from poachers and withering in the endlessly increasing heat. Our world is being destroyed by humans, I thought all humans were bad until one day this happened…

I was wallowing in a mudhole when I saw a young boy in old dirty shorts running around. This surprised me since I was far out in the savanna away from any villages. I despised humans. The boy stopped running when he saw me too terrified to move so he did what he was taught to do, he laid down to give himself up to the great rhino. At first I was ready to kill him but then I looked at his eyes, so much fear yet so much hope and kindness. I couldn’t do it, so I did the only thing I could think of, something I hadn’t done in many years.

I opened my mouth and said shyly "Hello, are you lost?"

The boy's eyes grew so wide I thought they would pop out of their sockets but eventually he found the courage to ask "You speak?"

"Yes, it is a long story". I told him "Are you lost?" I repeated again.

"No I ran away, yesterday I wrote an amazing essay on animal conservation and my teacher gave me an F because killing animals is a part of our culture, but people don’t understand the importance of wildlife, they don’t understand me", he replied.

"Would you like to live with me?" I asked, surprised at my own words.

"Yes” he said enthusiastically.

"Okay", I replied, "What is your name?"

"Kofi, what is yours?” he asked. "Sueño".

That day Kofi followed me into my home, a cluster of trees. We ate plants together and talked about the animals on the savanna. I told him about the hyenas, "They have a really good sense of humor actually" I said.

"Oh really, how about the giraffes?" he asked, smiling.

"Oh they are beautiful and majestic, and way better at yoga than me".

He laughed, a beautiful sound it rang around my ears for the rest of the day and for the first time in ages I slept well, with him resting peacefully beside me.

We became friends, he rode on my back everywhere we went. Kofi met all the savanna creatures and learned the way of the wild. From time to time he went back to his village but that was a good thing because he showed others the importance of wildlife.

To this day we are best friends.

Congratulations on your essay "Dream", Grace! This is such a lovely wildlife friendship story! We wish you a wonderful trip to Africa and hope you see your favorite animals, the rhinos! Thank you!

Grace Young is currently World Schooling and travelling the world with her parents. She is from Denver, Colorado/ USA. English as First Language. Other Home Language Spanish