How Green Becomes Wood

"They have very large ears," Dark said, watching them.

"Does that look like Enkidu?" Daizi asked Ivy crouching behind her, "What do dogs say?"

"How! How!" Ivy grinned, pressing both hands against the glass.
 
"I do not believe she really understands there can be dogs who are not friendly," Dark said, watching Ivy more than he was watching the dogs, fascinating though they were. It was just too beautiful to admire the wonder on his daughter's face to really pay attention to the animals.
 
"Are those zebras?" Alec demanded, pointing down the way. "I think those are zebras! Let's go look at the stripy horses!"

"I think they are more closely related to donkeys?" Xander half said, half asked.

Alec shrugged. "I dunno. I do know that they're one of a zookeeper's least favorite animals for sheer violence."
 
"No, it did not break the skin," Dark replied, letting Ivy walk with them now that she was happy to be out of the stroller. "It did not even bruise, which I found disappointing that the time. We were at this tourist, drive-through safari where we had food buckets like at a petting zoo. I turned to say something to Cooger, which brought the bucket of food away from the zebra, and it bit my arm to pull the bucket back."

"He's forgetting to include the part where the whole time he was shouting, 'It is biting me! It is biting me!'"
 
"Wow. Gentle zebra," Alec said in surprise. He grinned, staring out at the striped equines. "They are beautiful creatures."

Xander nodded, leaning against a railing. "They are pretty cool. So, what did you do about the biting zebra?"
 
"I do not believe it intended to hurt me," Dark said, "I did not really need to do anything, as soon as the bucket was near enough to it, it released me. Had it bruised, I would have had the bruise tattooed, though."
 
"I forget it happened sometimes," Dark admitted, "In the grand scheme of things, it is very minor."

Ivy looked up at her brother, but didn't understand the question and instead just pointed at them, "This?"
 
Ivy stretched up onto her toes, trying to get a better look at the zebras. This place was very strange to her, but she was having fun.

"I like that I can hear them moving around," Daizi said, "When they walk I can hear their hooves."
 
"Oh, that one just tried to take a bite out of the other one," Alec commented.

"Minor scuffling. Hooves are thrown, but it doesn't look like they connected. Looks like they're separating now. Still grumpy, but shaking it off," Xander said like a commentator.

Alec chimed in at the end, "And peace has returned to the herd!"
 
"I wonder if they sensed my presence and it enraged them," Dark mused, lifting Ivy so she could get a better view.

"We chose a good day to come, then, they sound very active today," Daizi mused.
 
"I think we will see the snow leopard, but not the red pandas," Alec predicted.

Xander debated for a moment. "Yes, wolves, no snow leopard or red pandas, and... Mama won't see any of it."
 
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