Madagascar

Chapter 12

Soon the celebration turned into a full on pool party around the watering hole. A group of animals bashed out fun, rhythmic music and everyone started dancing. Julien jumped in front of the dancers and led the disco moves. He was now wearing a feathered crown.

Marty wandered through the festivities. His old clothes had been replaced with tribal black and white skirts.

Marty: Excuse me. I'm Marty. I'm kind of new around here.

Hearing his voice, the zebras all turned to face him. Marty was shocked that they looked like him but he grinned.

Zebras: Hey, Marty!

Marty: Hey.. You're a good-looking group! You like to run?

Zebras: Yeah. Running is crack-a-lackin'.

Marty: That's right! Crack-a-lackin'. You guys speak my crack-a-lackin' language.

Marty started to join in. He grinned as he ran with his fellow zebras, loving their speed and the freedom of the open field. He couldn't get over how similar all the zebras were to him. It was like finding a band of long lost brothers.

Zebra: Welcome to the herd, Marty!

Marty: Me? I've always wanted to be part of a herd!- It's one for all...

Zebras: And all for all, y'all!.

Melman jumped around to the music in the company of several other giraffes. They all danced awkwardly like giant pogo sticks. During a break in the music, Melman slumped against a tree catching his breath beside another giraffe who told him everything.

Melman: What? You don't have doctors here?

Giraffe: Not anymore.

Melman: Well, what if you catch a cold?

Giraffe: We go over to the dying holes and we die.

He pointed to a place out on the open savanna, where big pits had been dug in the ground, /in the pit Melman could make out the heads of a few sickly giraffe humanoids sticking out of the holes, waiting to expire.

Melman: Okay. You guys really need a doctor.

Giraffe: Hey. We have an opening.

Giraffe 2 :Would you be interested?

A look of pure delight lit up Melman's face.

Melman: Me? A doctor?

They started to go over to the open field to dress him up. Melman was dressed in an elaborate feathered headdress and dozens of glittering necklaces had been looped around his neck.

Melman: How do I look?

For a moment, the giraffe humanoids lifted a big pointy bone.

Giraffe: Technically, a traditional witch doctor has a bone through his nose.

Melman: Huh?

Giraffe 2: Don't worry... it's just a clip-on.

Melman relaxed and allowed the giraffe to clip the bone onto his nose.

Giraffe 2: Voilà! He's a witch doctor!

Melman: My mother will be so happy.

In the middle of the watering hole, Gloria wallowed in the deep water among a group of other hippo females. They all giggled and splashed around when a bunch of male hippos cannon balled into the water near them, showing off. Gloria had now wore a tribal dress of gray hippo skin.