Xjrsten60scfi crates . 7
MONlY'S FYNBOS SURPRISE
Monty wakes up Monty mongoose woke up early one fine spring morning. He had a tingle in his tail – a sure sign it was going to be an exciting day. He scrambled out from beneath Monty’s Rock. Shaking his paws and scratching his head, he looked around for all his friends. Surely they couldn’t have forgotten it was his birthday! He had been counting the sleeps for ages and at last the big day had arrived, but no one seemed to have remembered. “Perhaps they are all waiting for me at Lily Pond,” he thought to himself, as he trotted over the wooden bridge, sniffing the fresh air and occasionally looking over his shoulder in case he missed someone. The gardens were oddly deserted. Just then he spotted Impangele with a brood of little guinea fowl trailing behind her. “Hi, Monty,” squawked Impangele. “You are up early this morning.” Monty couldn’t believe his ears – no birthday greeting! He tried not to look too disappointed. Maybe it was just because she had lots of chicks and found it difficult to remember things. “Good morning, Impangele. Have you seen Bushy, my squirrel friend?” “Why, yes, he said he was going to visit Mrs Yencanda Porcupine – did you want him for anything?” Monty was too embarrassed to mention his birthday. Mumbling to himself, he muttered goodbye and slowly made his way to Otter Pond. Resting under the giant red mahogany tree, Monty gazed sadly at the statue of the otter, wishing it was real so he could play. It was going to be a rotten birthday and Monty had been so looking forward to it. Banging his foot against the wall, he decided to make his way up to the Dell. It was always so peaceful there and he might even find someone to play with him at Colonel Bird’s Bath.
Colonel Bird’s Bath Pottering up the steps towards the Dell, Monty stopped to look at the strelitzias – they really did look like birds of paradise. A little bird landed on a flower next to him. “Hello, Monty, watch me, watch me! I can jump on this flower and it’s like magic. Look, here’s my breakfast.” “That’s very clever,” said Monty grumpily, not in the least bit interested, and wandered on his way, keeping a look out for his friends. Stopping at the bosvy tree, Monty could not resist the temptation to play in its twisted branches as he spotted a beautiful dragonfly flitting from branch to branch. “Whew, I need a dip – my toes are very hot,” he sighed, thinking how nice it would be to have a friend to play with him. He popped down to put his toes in the stream near the mountain cabbage tree. “Wow, the bark of this tree looks just like a crocodile’s skin,” thought Monty and he turned to scratch his back on the rough trunk. He soon decided it was time to move on. The garden was still empty and his birthday was proving to be even worse than he had expected. Not even the naughty field mice who pulled his tail were about.
Following the cobbled stones he made his way to the real yellowwood tree, which he remembered Bushy saying was the national tree of South Africa and that its bluish fruits were eaten by birds – but there wasn’t a bird in sight. He decided to play hopscotch across the stepping stones. He kept missing and landing in the water. “Ah ha, a waterfall to splash in!” he yelled, darting in and out of the spray. But it was really no fun on his own. Sadly, he wandered up to Colonel Bird’s Bath in the Dell. Hopping onto the narrow stone wall, he gazed at the beautiful, clear mountain water and the pretty bird shape of the bath. “Maybe if I close my eyes my friends will appear,” he thought. Balancing carefully on the edge, he shut his eyes tightly.
Monty is captured “We’ve got you!” shouted a deep, gruff voice. “Don't move or we'll throw you into the bath.” “Eeek! Let me go!” Before Monty could say another word, he felt his eyes being covered with smooth, cool agapanthus leaves, which were tied fast at the back of his furry head. All went very dark and he couldn’t see a thing. “Help – I can’t see! Bushy, help me.” He thought he could hear a familiar giggle behind him but his hopes were soon shattered.
“No one will hear you here – we’ve caught you and you must do as we tell you,” continued the voice. “Oh, please let me go. It’s my birthday and I am having the most awful birthday in the whole world!” Monty squeaked. “We won’t hurt you if you do as we tell you. Now jump down … here’s a paw to help you.” Monty jumped meekly to the ground and allowed himself to be led up some steep steps. “Wh … where are you taking me?” he stammered. “Don’t panic. We are at the first testing spot. How are your senses?” “I don’t have cents – sorry,” exclaimed Monty. “Not cents – SENSES, you nana. You know, smelling, tasting, touching …” “Easy-peasy – I have great senses!” shouted Monty.
Monty’s first test Monty’s heart was thumping and his paws trembled. “I don’t understand what you want me to do,” he murmured. “This is going to be TOUCH and go – get it?” Hoots of giggles surrounded Monty. Taking the mongoose’s paw, the capturer made Monty feel some very sharp, spiky objects and some rough protruding knobs. “Now that you have touched, listen to the clue and make a guess.” “These plants are very old And take years to grow, so we are told. As living fossils they are known, Their naked seeds are stored in cones. The name you know begins with ‘C’. They’re beautiful, I’m sure you’ll agree, What are they?” Monty scratched his head with his paw. “I know, I know!” shouted Monty. “This is a cactus.” “No. Cacti are not ‘living fossils’ – which means something very old. Try again, Monty.” “Sorry, I wasn’t thinking properly …we are above the Dell, so could it be a cycad?” Monty asked. “Well done, Monty! You have passed the first riddle – now let’s move on to the next one.” Monty could have sworn he heard faint clapping in the nearby bushes but he couldn’t be sure. He was guided up more steps to a cool path. “I wonder if you will like the sound of this one. Stop. Listen … What can you hear and where does the sound tell you we are?” Monty strained his ears but all he could hear was a barking noise and a rumbling sound. “All I hear are a dog barking and, I think, a plastic motorbike scrambling down the path,” he moaned.
“That’s noise. What pretty sounds can you hear, Monty? Try to listen for the sounds that come from nature.” At last he heard a gurgling call he knew well. “I can hear the Cape sugarbird – the one with the lovely long tail.” Monty jumped up and down with excitement.
“Yes, Monty, you are quite right. What a brilliant garden detective you are. Any idea where we might be?” His capturers were not making it easy for him. Monty thought for a while and then suggested, “Well, my friend the sugarbird, who always has lots of mouths to feed, tells me how sweet the nectar is from the proteas he visits … Could it be that we are near the proteas?”
"Bravo, Monty, you are doing well. Really cool garden detectives are very ‘sensible’ – ha-ha! We are so clever today.” Monty could hear chuckles all around him and he was longing to know who was around. He cocked his ear and he could hear the sugarbird calling loudly, the wind whistling in the trees and even the water gurgling. “Sounds so beautiful,” Monty sighed. “Can I see who is about?” But no-one was listening.
Monty smells a mouse Despite the fact that he was still blindfolded, Monty was starting to enjoy this game. He was now sure that his captors weren’t really going to harm him and he also loved riddles. “Can you take this blindfold off me now? I am doing well, aren’t I?” he asked cheerfully. “No, we are not going to take the blindfold off yet!” a voice barked. “You still have some riddles to answer and we are not going to let you go if you don’t know the answers!” Monty's heart fluttered a little. “Rather odd birthday this is turning out to be,” he thought. Suddenly he tripped over a soft mound of soil and fell flat on his nose! “Oops! Careful, Monty – Moley has been here before us!” laughed his captors, as they heaved Monty back onto his paws and led him up a hill. Moley created havoc in the gardens, as he was very keen to excavate! He was also very shy so it was difficult to catch sight of him. Just then Monty was stopped in his tracks. The hill was steep and he felt rather tired so he was happy to stop. “Bend down and smell this plant,” commanded the voice. Monty did as he was told but couldn’t recognise the smell. It was sweet and orangey and certainly very strong. “Now for our helpful riddle,” said his captors. “The name means aromatic herb; it doesn’t like to be disturbed. White to pale mauve are its flowers and it has strong medicinal powers. What is it?” Monty didn’t have a clue. He could think of all sorts of plants that had a strong smell. “Is it pelargonium?” “No, silly-billy mongkin, that doesn’t mean aromatic herb,” laughed his captors. “Is it petunia or portulaca?” Monty tried other plants but every suggestion was met with a resounding ‘NO!’ He was beginning to get desperate. His captors were getting more and more impatient and Monty was feeling quite anxious. Suddenly he heard a scurrying sound. Sniffing and twitching his nose, he tried to pick up the scent. “It’s a mouse, it’s a mouse!” cried Monty in glee. “I can smell Impuku!”
“Mice don’t grow on flowers – how can you be so silly!” “Ah-ha!” said Monty. “But if a mouse is near here, and this plant has small leaves, has a nice smell and is near the proteas, we may be in the Fynbos Garden because mice pollinate some of the proteas. So, if we are in the Fynbos Garden then perhaps this is a buchu plant?”
“Hurray – you guessed it at last. Monty, you are brilliant! This is the buchu.” “I knew it,” said Monty, grinning from ear to ear. “Of course, I remember now – my mother has given it to me when my tummy has been sore.”
The final test Monty really wanted to enjoy his birthday now. He pleaded with his adversaries. “Please let me go – I have managed to guess all the riddles and I know where we are. We are at the top of Kirstenbosch in the Fynbos Garden. My mother will be very worried about me.” “We haven’t finished with you yet. This is the final test. If you can use three of your senses – touch, smell and sound – to identify this plant, then we may just let you go.” “Oh, please do!” cried Monty, wondering where they were going to lead him next. Taking him by the paw, someone rather small and furry turned Monty around again and again. “Hey, stop that, will you? I am getting dizzy,” he shouted crossly. A cheeky laugh could be heard behind him. “Come on, now we shall see how clever you are,” the voice called. Battling up a steep grassy verge, Monty found he was quite out of breath. At last they stopped. “Right, listen carefully to this sound – you only get one chance.” Monty strained his ears. This time he could hear only the sounds of nature: the crickets chirruping, birds singing – it was beautiful. Then he heard a sort of rustling noise, almost like reeds and leaves in the wind. “Now touch here,” the voice continued, guiding Monty’s paw to a smooth stem. “It is very tough and thin, but it feels smooth and it’s quite long,” said Monty. “Ooh! Here is something sticking out – it feels papery and sticky, it rustles when I touch it.” “Yes, there are others like it that feel like a horse’s tail,” said one of his captors. “I know – it’s a rhinoceros!” called Monty in delight. “A rhino? Monty Mongoose, since when is a rhino a plant?” Monty could hear giggles and laughing. “Smell the plant – have a guess” “It smells a little like heather but not nearly as strong,” murmured Monty. “I will have a little nibble. Yuck! It tastes disgusting. Can’t you give me a riddle to help me along?” “All right, here goes: They are an important family in the fynbos world, They have no leaves but as thatch can be sold. The stems or culms are full of tannin So if animals needed grazing there’d be a famine. What is it?”
“You gave it away … If they are used for thatching then this must be one of the restio family,” shouted Monty in glee, very relieved that he had passed the last test. “Please take this blindfold off and let me go. I’m sure Bushy must be looking for me now.” His captors burst out laughing. “Bushy? Looking for you? You must be joking. Bushy has gone porcupine-quill hunting in the forest.” Monty felt sad. No one seemed to care that it was his birthday.
Monty’s surprise Forlornly, Monty allowed himself to be led up another hill. It seemed to be getting even darker and he kept brushing against plants and tripping over roots. He became aware that there was a lot of activity around him. There was a scurrying of tiny feet and loud whispers. “Perhaps they are just going to hurl me into the stream and I will never be heard of again.” Little tears welled up in his eyes behind his blindfold and he gave a loud sniff. But suddenly there was light. His blindfold had been removed and he was blinking in the sunshine. A loud shout nearly made him jump out of his skin and he toppled over backwards. “Surprise! We fooled you – happy birthday to you!” came a cacophony of voices. Monty couldn’t believe his eyes. He was in the secret Fynbos Garden, surrounded by all his friends. “Wow! I can't believe this. This is where you were all the time.” He looked around to see who his captors were. He saw Bushy looking rather embarrassed, holding some bedraggled agapanthus leaves, and with him was Mrs Yencanda Porcupine. “What? It was you all the time! You beast, I will get you for this,” exclaimed Monty. He jumped up and rushed over to Bushy and started tumbling over and over again, with Bushy underneath him. “Stop – Monty, stop!” yelled Bushy. “We had lots of fun with you.” Bushy was laughing so much that the tears were pouring down his furry chest. “You certainly had me fooled,” squealed Monty. “I thought I was finished.”
“You did jolly well with those riddles, Monty, but now the real fun begins.” “Oh no,” groaned Monty, “you are not going to make me do any more guessing, are you?” “No, no, but come and see what we have planned for your party. All the animals have been working very hard.” “So that is why the garden was deserted this morning. I thought it was rather strange,” laughed Monty. Bushy led him to the big rock near the top of the secret garden. All the animals were gathered around, clutching precious gifts they had lugged up the steep hill. “Come and sit here, Monty – we can't wait for you to open our presents,” called Intini the Otter, who had come down especially from the mountain streams to join the party.
Monty’s Gifts Monty went to sit at the top of the rock and gazed at all his friends and the wonderful array of gifts. He was feeling a little overwhelmed by all the excitement and his eyes filled with tears again. All his presents had been made from things found in the Fynbos Garden. He couldn’t believe how inventive his friends had been. He first picked up a hollowed-out wild almond seed wrapped in silver leaves – it was from Mrs Francolin. Although she was a very busy mum, she always had time to think of others. “Mmmm … it looks and smells delicious, Mrs Francolin, but what is it?” asked Monty nervously. “Don’t worry, my dear, it’s very tasty. The seed is filled with sour fig jam – sweet it is.” Monty dipped his paw into the sticky mixture and tasted. It was delicious. “Can I eat it now?” he pleaded. “Not now, Monty,” called Bushy. “You still have all the party food to eat.” Monty put it carefully to one side. He picked up his next gift very gently. It was a darling little mat, carefully woven from the restio plants. Impuku (Mrs Field Mouse) was very proud of her beautiful work. “It’s for you to rest your head on, Monty. It’s very warm, especially in winter,” she explained. Two of her children were jumping up and down in excitement. “Look what we saved especially for you, Monty. Tasty tidbits we knew you would love.” Then a lizard shyly held up his gift. It was an aloe filled with nectar that his friend, the sunbird, had helped him to prepare. A little ant, hiding behind the rock and clutching a small seed wrapped in a protea leaf, called out quietly, “I saved this for you – we carry the seeds underground. They are so tasty.” “Thank you, little friends – you have all been so thought …”
Monty didn’t have a chance to finish. There was a flurry of wings and a gabble of noise. “Oh no, am I late? Have I missed the party? It’s the children. I just forget everything!” said Impangele, who was terribly flustered. She had rushed along from the Rycroft Gate, zoomed along the path, whipped into the air for some of the way and crash-landed at the foot of the rock. All the animals giggled. Impangele was always late for everything! From under her wing came a very bedraggled bunch of proteas and other fynbos plants. “I found these flowers dumped on the path, so I picked them up for you, Monty,” she gasped. “I hope I am not too late for the party. My children do keep me very busy!” "Thank you, Impangele. Come on, what about the party? I am ravenous!" “Monty, you are always hungry,” laughed his friends. “We’ll leave the rest of the gifts for later – let’s party. Come on, everyone.”
Monty’s party As he climbed up the big rock to the party scene, Monty was so excited to see all his favourite friends. He spotted Ndala, the owl, almost falling off the tree as he nodded off and just next door Batty was showing off his skill in hanging upside down. Everyone tucked into the most delicious grub and munching sounds could be heard in between giggles and chuckles as everyone thought about Monty’s curious birthday surprise. Birds fluttered about from tree to tree trying on their party hats. The praying mantis – the only insect able to turn its head – proudly showed off this ability, while the ants scurried to the huge rock. Old Slowcoach, the tortoise, ambled along, having taken all morning to get to the party. Yencanda, chewing the bulb of an arum lily, her favourite food, and Intini caught up on all the gossip from Skeleton Gorge while they waited for the party games to begin. After much feasting, the animals were ready for some fun. Bushy stood on top of the rock. “Friends, I want to wish Monty a really happy birthday.” Loud clapping broke out and all the animals began to sing. “Happy birthday to you, may all your wishes come true. Hurray!” Monty perched on the rock too. In one paw he clutched the birthday card all his friends had written in with waboom ink and in the other a seed full of bossie stroop (sugarbush syrup). “This is the best birthday ever – thank you all so much. Now it’s my turn to have some fun. Come on, everyone, get into pairs – we are going to play ‘barmy blinder’. Everyone has to cover their eyes with agapanthus leaves. I get to spin you all around and you have to guess the plant you end up next to.” All the animals burst out laughing and the real fun began.
Fynbos detectives Have some fun. Monty is a great fynbos detective. Can you be one too? The answers are found on page 30.
Riddle 1 The cricketers love me, they use my name, I am the national flower and South Africa’s claim to fame. Sunbirds visit me as do the striped field mice. They think I am gorgeous and even taste nice! What is my name? Riddle 2
Read this riddle and work out the letters to find the answer. The picture will give you a clue. The first is in roof but not in hoof The second is in egg but not in ogg The third is in sack but not in lack The fourth is in tea but not in flea
The fifth is in ink but not in sank The sixth is in open but not in pen Which plant is used for thatching?
Riddle 3 Look at the picture above and see if you can work out the answer to this riddle. We may be tiny but we work as a team. If you stamp on us we will really scream. We plant protea seeds down in our nests. The rain and the sun do all the rest. What are we?
Riddle 4 There are so many different kinds of proteas, so proteas are named after the Greek God Proteus, who was said to be able to change his form. Good detectives look really closely at the plants and find interesting patterns. Look carefully at the picture above. The picture in the middle is part of one of the proteas around it. Can you work out which one?
Fun Fynbos Facts The word fynbos comes from Afrikaans, meaning ‘fine-leaf plants’ or literally ‘fine bush’. Fynbos is the main vegetation type of a small botanical region known as the Cape Floral Kingdom. This is the smallest but one of the richest of the world’s six floral kingdoms. There are over 9000 different plant species! Fynbos needs special conditions in order to thrive. These include: 1. Dry summer conditions 2. Soils poor in nutrients 3. Recurring fire and wind. FYNBOS FLORA There are four main families of plants in the fynbos world: Proteoids (proteas) These are usually tall shrubs with large leathery leaves. There are plenty of different varieties, many of which have special adaptations for living in the fynbos. The King protea is the national flower of South Africa. Birds love them – proteas are their own special breakfast table. Proteas only occur in Africa and there are 117 different kinds.
Ericoids (Ericas): These are heath-like plants. The leaves are small and shaped to cope with our dry summers. They are hard, with the edges rolled under, which prevents the plant from losing too much water. The flowers all have four petals, which form a characteristic bell shape, varying in size and shape according to the way in which the flower is pollinated: by wind, insect or by bird. Birds just love the sweet nectar and for some their beaks are exactly the right size to dig deep. Naughty carpenter bees cheat and bite a hole in the flower to steal the nectar.
Restioids (restios) The restios are otherwise known as Cape reed plants. There are over 300 different kinds and there are different male and female plants. They have small brown bracts for leaves and are able to survive in very dry conditions. The stems (or culms) contain a substance called tannin, which does not taste nice and so discourages animals from grazing them. The long stems of these plants are used for thatching the roofs of houses. The flowers are brown and papery and are pollinated by the wind. Geophytes (bulbs) There is an amazing array of beautiful bulbs in the Cape – over 1500 different varieties. These plants store food underground in bulbs (like onions), tubers (like potatoes) or corms. This helps them to survive during fires or in times of drought. Once these conditions pass they begin to grow again. The Cape mole rat feasts on bulbs – you can see they have been about when you find mounds of earth dotted around the garden. Over 4944
bulbs were found in one mole rat’s burrow! He must have been a very fat little fellow who had quite a sore tummy. But moles help bulbs too because sometimes they drop them along the path and the bulbs grow in a new area.
FIRE – FRIEND OR FOE? Fire can be very dangerous and damaging, and we must always be careful not to play with fire in any form. However, fire is not only destructive and, in fact, is essential for the continued survival of fynbos. Fynbos plants burn very easily, but many new plants grow quickly after a fire. Those, such as the fire lily, seem to require the smoke of a fire in order to flower. Many of the fynbos plants, such as some of the proteas, for example, have special adaptations to survive fire. Protea seeds are large and packed with nutrients. They are stored in woody cones on the plant so it is difficult for seedeaters to get at them. The heat of the flames stimulates the opening of the cones and the seeds are released after the fire has occurred. FYNBOS FAUNA Many different insects, birds and mammals live among the fynbos. These creatures play an important part in the fynbos world. Among these animals are: Pugnacious ants Some Fynbos plants produce seeds with a fleshy appendage called an elaiosome. Ants carry these seeds to their underground nests, where they eat the fleshy parts and discard the seeds. Here they remain, safe from seed-eating animals and from fire. The seeds germinate when conditions are favourable. This ‘planting’ of seeds by ants is called myrmecochory.
Cape sugarbird The male sugarbird is easily recognised by its long, wispy tail. It is a dull brown colour, with darker streaking. The sugarbird is commonly seen perching on proteas. It is unusual in that it breeds in winter, which is when the sugarbush is in flower. This bird likes to sip the nectar, and is an important pollinator in the fynbos.
Striped fieldmouse This little mouse has four dark and three pale stripes down the length of its back. It plays an important role in the pollination of some proteas that have flowers close to the ground. It feeds on a variety of seeds, berries and nectar. At night time when you are fast asleep, these little mice are scurrying around visiting the proteas. They get pollen on their paws and that way they help to transfer pollen from one flower to the next. FYNBOS FOES Our fynbos is a very important part of our heritage and we should be helping to look after it. Sadly, there are many things that threaten our natural environment. Human invaders As more and more land is needed for housing and other developments, so humans encroach on and destroy the natural environment. This includes areas of fynbos, which means that we are gradually losing these precious plants. Humans are also to blame for introducing alien fauna and flora, some of which can harm our natural plants and animals. Some of the alien plants that threaten fynbos include rooikrans and the seedpods of the rooikrans and the Port Jackson willow. These plants were introduced from Australia to stabilise the dunes on the Cape Flats surrounding Cape Town. They now thrive in this area.
HOW CAN WE HELP? 1. We can get involved in ‘alien hacks’ and join the groups of people that go out and remove alien plants from our fynbos region. 2. We can plant indigenous plants in our garden. 3. We can tell our friends all about the things that threaten our fynbos and get their support in protecting it.