More Meerkat Madness. Ian Whybrow

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      At the first coming of suntime, they made their way along the dark tunnels to the Upworld and stood together at the main entrance for Warm-up. Meerkats can’t really get going until they have warmed up their minds and muscles properly. To do this, they have to point the little pads on their tummies towards the rising sun for a while. So there they were, tummy-pads in the air, feeling a bit shivery, a bit tired… but happy.

      Uncle stood beside the kits, mumbling to himself. He had been doing this a lot just lately. In fact, lately he had become even more eccentric than usual. For example, he had taken to dashing off by himself for quite long periods. And he was always popping down into the burrow, even in the suntime, declaring that he was “just checking that all the escape tunnels were in good order, don’t ya know?” If he had checked them once, he had checked them more times than he had teeth and claws.

      And now here he was, mumbling to himself: “Hmmm… get a grip, Fearless. Whup-whup, now! Not so much shilly-shallying, you fool! Get in there before it’s too late. Just pop the question before she dashes off again, what-what…!”

      “What is he muttering about?” whispered Mimi to Little Dream. “...before she dashes off again...?” Mimi usually thought of herself first and imagined that others did the same. “She? But I haven’t dashed off anywhere lately, not me, not Mimi!”

      Little Dream said nothing. He still hadn’t woken up properly.

      Uncle began to lick his paw and slick back his whiskers, mmyim-mmyam. “Quite honestly, Fearless, old boy, you’re not looking too bad for an old battler,” he said aloud. “You may be a bit bent and bashed-up in places, but you’ve got your health and strength. So get on with it, laddy! Pounce before the beetle buries itself, as they say!”

      Mimi’s big brother, Skeema, pricked up his ears and looked sideways at Uncle. Being rather keen on plans and schemes himself, he too was curious to know what Fearless was up to. “Pounce, eh?” thought Skeema. “Old battler…? Hmmm. I wonder if he’s planning to have a fight with another meerkat mob. Prrrrr! Perhaps he’s found out that the Ruddertails are planning another attack on Far Burrow!”

      For several suntimes now, Uncle had been exercising furiously. He had taken to doing press-ups, and making energetic sprints to and from a nearby shepherd tree. He would come back all breathless and fluttery, running his paws over his face and arms to smooth them and looking down to see if his fat tummy had got any smaller. Now and then he would throw himself on his back and kick all his legs in the air, making strange yip-yip-wheeee! noises and shouting, “I’m all yours! Come and get me!” He did a lot of waggling his eyebrows and clacking his teeth. Skeema felt pretty sure that he was getting himself fit for a scrap!

      On this particular early-suntime, Uncle was taking unusual care with his grooming. He suddenly seemed to notice a wayward tuft in his fur and nibbled at it furiously. “Lie down tidy, now!” he growled. “Disgrace! This’ll never do! Hmmm, nip nip! Must keep meself neat and handsome, what-what!”

      “Aha! СКАЧАТЬ