The Butterfly Lion There was a waterhole downhill from the farmhouse, and some distance away. That waterhole, when there was water in it, became Bertie’s whole world. He would spend hours in the dusty compound, his hands gripping the fence, looking out at the wonders of the veld, at the giraffes drinking, spread-legged, at the waterhole; at the browsing impala, tails twitching, alert; at the warthogs snorting and snuffling under the shade of the shingayi trees; at the baboons, the zebras, the wildebeests, and the elephants bathing in the mud.
Storytelling challenge: Can you describe a place, using verbs rather than adjectives, to paint a vivid picture – like Michael Morpurgo does in The Butterfly Lion?
You should:
You might:
• Think of a busy place with lots happening. It might be: a place you know well like a local market or a busy road; a place from your imagination; a jungle or a city on another planet. It might even be your classroom!
• When you have finished describing your scene, you could try writing your description down and then share this with other people in the class.
• Describe the scene to a partner. Try to use precise verbs to describe what is happening, rather than adjectives.
Stuck for ideas? If you get stuck, here are some ideas for verbs that might be useful when thinking of different scenes: Burst, spread, shadowed, sprayed, huddled, meandered, crumbled, bellowed, glowed, shimmered, flickered, danced, crackled, shuddered, quivered, whispered, wafted, choked, clattered, sang, buzzed, bubbled, trickled, beat, tingled, shook, giggled, chortled, snorted, squealed, simmered, smouldered
Illustrations © Christian Birmingham, 1996
The Butterfly Lion