Amelia, a young girl from a wealthy family, had everything she wanted – a large house beside a lush, green forest, complete with every luxury. However, she was an orphan who lived with her guardian uncle and she longed for her parents and the warmth of a close-knit family. Amelia needed a friend who would understand her feelings, make her happy and never let her feel lonely. Little did she know that she was about to build an unusual bond that she had never imagined…
One day, Amelia was taking a stroll in the quiet forest beside her house when she heard the soft munching of leaves. Suddenly, she saw a strangely-shaped, ugly figure emerging from the trees. It had an elephant head with tusks, the body of a lion and a terrifying tail with a snake head at the tip. Amelia screamed and hid behind a tree. Sweat was trickling down her face – she had never seen such a monstrous creature!
"Go away!" Amelia shouted, terrified.
The creature seemed to regret showing up suddenly in front of Amelia and replied gently, "Oh, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to scare you".
Amelia came out of the trees. The creature had not tried to hurt her as she had expected. She was confused now – should she trust this creature or run away from him? Amelia took a step closer.
“Please don’t be afraid,” the creature said politely.
Amelia looked into the creature's large eyes and saw sadness and loneliness. "He's just like me," she thought.
After a long time, Amelia assured herself, “Let me give him a chance. Let me get to know him better.”
Amelia moved closer to the creature and spoke, "It's alright. I'm not afraid of you now. I'm Amelia."
The creature's eyes lit up, "Nice to meet you! I'm Jeremy. Come, I'll take you to where I live." Amelia smiled, and they walked merrily into the forest.
"I don't come out into the forest much," Jeremy said on the way, "You see, my kind, the Grameluruses, are hunted for their tusks and fur. There are just a handful of our kind left. So we hide in fear and try to protect ourselves."
"I'm so sorry," Amelia replied, "I wish I could do something to help you."
"You're very kind," Jeremy said gratefully.Soon, Jeremy and Amelia reached a green grassland beside a lake shimmering in the Sun.
Amelia loved the smell of the fresh air. Several Grameluruses like Jeremy inhabited the grassland.
Hearing their delightful trumpeting, Amelia said, "Is this your home?"
"Yes," Jeremy said, "Beautiful, isn't it?"
"It’s amazing," Amelia said in wonder.
"Let me show you around," Jeremy invited.
He introduced Amelia to the herd of Grameluruses. At first, they feared that she would kill them for their tusks and fur, but as they spent more time with her, they realised she meant no harm. Together, they played games, cracked jokes all day and made Amelia comfortable. Amelia even learnt how to feed a baby Gramelurus! She was having the time of her life. When it became dark, Jeremy took Amelia back to where they had met.
"Thank you, Amelia," Jeremy said, "You are the first true friend I have had in a long, long time."
“Today has been one of the best days of life! Thank YOU, Jeremy!” Amelia said.
And she said goodbye to the creature, her heart full of warmth and pleasure. Amelia started singing when she reached home. She could not think about anything other than her time with her lovely friend and his family.
Perplexed, Amelia's uncle asked, "Why are you so happy?"
"You will never believe what happened today!" Amelia exclaimed and told her uncle about the incredible adventures she'd had with Jeremy and his herd.
Amelia's uncle paid close attention to Amelia's description of Jeremy and the Grameluruses. As she finished, he started grinning, "These creatures have huge tusks and soft fur, do they? Oh, how wonderful! I could use it to make jewellery, carvings, coats and carpets for our business to sell in the market!"
"Y-you're going to hunt him down?" Amelia stammered.
"Of course!" her uncle exclaimed.
"NO, you CAN’T," screamed Amelia in shock, "You can't destroy a beautiful species so you can be rich!"
Amelia's uncle's face became red as a tomato, "I'm going to call our whole family to hunt these creatures, no matter what!""Think of what a luxurious life you'll lead with all the money we'll earn by selling the products I make from the creatures’ tusks and fur!" Amelia's uncle continued.
"That doesn't matter!" Amelia persisted, "Friendship is more important! Let me take you to him. Once you meet him, I'm sure you'll change your mind. He is a sweet, harmless creature."
"No!" Amelia's uncle screamed, "How dare you speak to me like that! What I'm doing is for your good. Nothing is stopping me from taking those hideous Grameluruses’ tusks and fur! You can't do anything about it. I'm going to start hunting tomorrow. And you are staying right here!"
Amelia was locked up in the attic of her house the next day. Her heart sank to see her family marching into the forest with guns and other weapons. Tears swam in her eyes.
"Poor Jeremy," Amelia wept, "He never hurt anyone. I can't do anything to save him. Oh, I'm such a terrible friend!"
Amelia felt helpless. But she pulled herself together and mustered all her courage and determination. "I must save Jeremy and his herd however I can," Amelia resolved, "I will not let the Grameluruses suffer."
Amelia tried to find a way to escape from the attic. With great difficulty, she removed a glass panel from the attic window and threw out a rope with which she climbed down. Amelia rushed into the forest to warn the Grameluruses she had met the previous day.
It had started drizzling. Amelia ran as fast as she could in the rain, fearing that her family might have already found the Grameluruses and killed them. She heard the loud footsteps of her family, rushing to hunt down the Grameluruses. Amelia had been running for a long time, but she was getting nowhere. The hunters were coming closer to the Grameluruses by the minute – she had to hurry. Her heart was beating rapidly. Amelia picked up her pace and persevered – she ran so fast that she didn’t notice a bush in front of her. She tripped and fell into the bush with a thud! She groaned, writhed and yelped in pain. There were cuts all over her leg due to the thorns in the bush. Her ankle was twisted and swollen.
“I can’t give up,” Amelia decided, “I have to save the Grameluruses, no matter what”. She slowly stood up and, with difficulty, limped towards the home of the Grameluruses. To Amelia’s relief, the Gramelurus herd soon came into sight. She informed Jeremy and the other Grameluruses that they were in danger and urged them to follow her to escape the hunters. But it was too late!
Just as Amelia, Jeremy and the herd were about to leave the grassland, they heard the ear-splitting sound of a bullet being fired into the air. The Grameluruses shuddered. Amelia turned around, and to her horror, she saw her family of hunters ready to attack the Grameluruses."What did you think, Amelia?" her uncle said, "You'd win against all of us? Not in your wildest dreams! Come on, let's start shooting!"
"No! Wait!" Amelia gasped, wincing in pain, "I have something to say! I've never had a single friend, and I've been lonely all my life. I've only spent a day with the Grameluruses, and they have become like my family. They have given me comfort and warmth. The Grameluruses have pure hearts. If you spend time with them, you'll see that your actions aren't right."
"It is our responsibility to preserve the beauty of Nature and this species," Amelia continued, "The Grameluruses and all animals in the world are valuable and have a role to play in our environment. Humans and animals need each other to survive. Why can't we live alongside other creatures in peace instead of cruelly and greedily using them for our advantage? It's up to you now – do you want to protect or exploit these creatures for money?" Amelia’s words echoed through the forest.
A huge storm started brewing, accompanied by strong winds, thunder and lightning. A giant, tall tree was hit by lightning and it was about to fall on the hunters! “Watch out!” the Grameluruses screamed. They immediately came to their rescue and pushed the massive falling tree out of the way just in time.
“Oh my goodness,” Amelia’s uncle muttered, shocked. When he was able to find his voice, he folded his hands and thanked the Grameluruses for saving his family. “You all are indeed wonders of Nature,” he said. The hunters stood spellbound, touched by the act of the Grameluruses and Amelia’s words.
Amelia's uncle apologized to the Grameluruses, "I was blinded by my greed for wealth. I was foolish not to understand the power of Nature and did not have any empathy for our fellow animals. Thank you, Amelia, for reminding us of our duty as humans.”
Amelia's family dropped their weapons and decided to spend the day with the Grameluruses after they apologized to them. They realised how friendly the Grameluruses were after interacting with them. From that day, Amelia's family would pay regular visits to the Grameluruses.
Amelia’s ankle soon healed and she was able to visit the Grameluruses. Jeremy said, "Thank you so much for speaking on behalf of us and helping us."
"My pleasure," Amelia replied, "I couldn't let my family harm you and the Gramelurus herd."
Jeremy added, "I am so grateful to have a friend like you. I will never forget what you have done for our tribe."
Amelia was proud of herself for standing up for her friend and defending the Grameluruses. And she was excited – she knew she had many more adventures coming up with her newly found family!
DoubleSpeak 