It was harvesting season at Leo the Wildlife Ranger's place. Walking around the garden, looking for ripe fruit to rise... oh, there he is!
- Hi, everyone! My name is Leo and I am a Junior Ranger. And this is my puppy, Hero! - he pointed at a seemingly mongrel, white pup with brown blots over his fur.
- How do you like the view, little guy? - Leo asked before approaching yet another berry bush, - everything is just so ready to- huh? - a strange movement distracted the boy, it was like something was behind that very bush. - What's that, Hero? You felt that?
Hero came towards the bush carefully, pawed at the ground slightly, before announcing that he got a scent of an unfamiliar animal... well, to him, at least. Because when the creature in question jumped from behind the bush, Leo could recognise that...
- It's just a horse, buddy! Please, don't scare him, he's just so young.
Hero started sniffing the horse to remember the scent, because he had never seen such a horse before.
- While you're at it, I'm gonna try to take a photo and send it to my sister Katie, who is also a Junior Ranger. Now hold still, horsie...
After having taken the photo of our hero, Leo eagerly came to his club-house, waiting for his sister's research results.
- So, Katie, what did you find out about our horse? Maybe it ran away from some farm and is looking for shelter?
- Oh no, Leo, the horse you found is a wild horse, known as Przhevalsky's or Mongolian horse, named after a person, who first discovered it. It is a rare endangered species, native to the steppes of central Asia. Once extinct in the wild, it was reintroduced at the Mongolian National Park "Khustain Nuruu".
- Wow, that's a cool name, both for the park and the horse!
- Of course! They're typically 56 inches or 142 centimeters tall and weigh about 300 kilos, that's 660 pounds. In the wild, Przewalski's horses live in small, permanent family groups consisting of one adult stallion, one to three mares, and their common offspring, the male defending females and helping them find grass, which is their diet.
- Now that's common...
- While dozens of zoos worldwide have Przewalski's horses in small numbers, specialized reserves are also dedicated primarily to the species. The world's largest captive-breeding program for Przewalski's horses is at the Askania Nova preserve in Ukraine.
- Well, to conclude this, - Leo inspected, - our colt needs to be brought to his herd as quickly as possible, so, let's do this!
But before they could exit, they saw someone new coming in. It was a girl, as old as Leo could've been, with hazel eyes and brown braided hair, wearing a dark red jacket over a white shirt and a long, striped blue skirt.
- Excuse me, is that your horse out there? - her voice was like a song, deep and strong.
- Uh, yeah, - Leo was stunned by this question, - how can we help?
- It's just it's really drwdd to leave a young colt out with no food... that's all.
- How do you... wait, you're a ranger, too? - Katie asked, seeing a badge on the girl's jacket.
- Yes, and it's my duty to help out whenever I can. Abby Sorrelbrook, by the way.
- I'm Leo, and this is my sister Katie, and we would gladly accept your help.
- Da, and I would love it from you, too. You see, I've been sent out on a task to know whether dragonflies fly around water much, and I don't know how to prove this.
- So, let's go and find out together! - Leo threw his hand out to Abby and they shook.
After their usual theme song and loading up their Przhevalski colt, they set off...
- So, Abby, how do you think you could've proven your task? - Leo asked.
- Well, dw i ddim yn gwybod... don't know really.
- Huh?
- That's what I said. I've seen a lot of dragonflies around the place where I live, but I don't know why that is...
- Well, there's a lake for us to see this in action!
The team got closer to a lake, where there seemed to be quite a lot of dragonflies.
- Breeding season, I presume, - Abby stepped out of the jeep, - there must be a lot of larvae in the water.
- Of course, there are. Wait, Hero, don't!
But it was too late: the pup was already splashing in the water joyfully, scaring the dragonflies; though there was still a moment he could open up to the kids' eyes: one of the dragonflies was holding a fresh earthworm in her legs.
- What a nice shot! Da iawn! - and Abby snapped her camera, singing:
Dragonfly, o dragonfly,
Flying round the lake,
You're the best of all mothers
For all the food you take
And bring back to your children dear
For life to grow, for goodness sake!
- So, it seems like your myth has been proven right, huh? - Leo smiled cheerfully, - Say, might the dragonflies show us the steppe, where the horses might live?
- I'm not so sure... but let's see!
The jeep's wheels zoomed forward yet again and soon, the kids reached the steppe, where the horses lived.
- Uh, Leo, - Katie eyed her brother shyly, - are you sure these are the horses?
- The dragonflies never lie, - Abby reassured her, - let's check!
And voila! That was the one-stallion herd of Przhevalski horses, lead by a man in his sixties, wearing a leather jacket, trousers and boots and a straw hat.
- Is that... Ranger Ramón?! - Abby was surprised by seeing her captain leading the herd, - Ranger Ramón, helo, did you get my photo?
- Of course, I did, Abby, and thanks to your fellow friends for completing their mission, too.
- It's our pleasure to help animals in need, - Leo bowed. - Nice to meet you, Mr Ramón, and your subdivision, so to speak, - he winked at Abby.
- Glad to have met you, too, young man,- Ramón and Leo shook hands.
- A big thank you for your report, Abby. And for your help, too, Leo and...
- ... and Katie.
- and Katie, yes, sorry. - Ranger Ramón bowed to Leo's sister.
- Well, we did it, - Leo summarized, - the Przhevalski horse is back with his herd, while we helped our friend to realise why do drahonflies fly around water much.
There was a group "Yay!" Happy with their two discoveries, Leo, Katie and their new friend Abby got home to receive a message from Ranger Rocky, telling that they'll be great Wildlife Rangers some day.
There was a lot going to be discovered with a new friend of theirs, Abigail Sorrelbrook.
Vocabulary:
Drwydd - bad
Da - good
Da iawn - very good