They could feel the change coming. The animals, in touch with the environment and its changing mood sensed the building threat. The monkey and the horse got together late one night to decide what must be done.
“The rains are coming.” The horse said. “They will fall and we will not know if they will stop.”
The monkey nodded. “We shall build.” She replied.
The monkey took to the drawing board with the owl and the snake and drafted the plans for a giant raft. The horse took to the forest with the beavers to cut the trees and the ox and rhinos to drag the timber to the shore. On the beach the monkey organised the squirrels and the mice to thread the twine and secure the structure.
Tirelessly they worked for days and nights, each animal contributing what they could on long and weary shifts. Eventually the raft floated at the water’s edge. A large central covered platform would take most of them, the roof was turfed for warmth and to keep the insects and brush was planted for the birds to perch. The dark task of selecting those to come began. Two of each it was agreed.
A pair of each species boarded the boat. Two aardvarks began the embarkation, but the first drops of heavy rain hastened the gathering and alphabetical order was abandoned.
The monkey fretted that there would be some left behind, she counted them all aboard, over and over to ensure none were left behind. On the second day, there were nearly complete when the horse called out and nodded to the land. There at the edge of the forest stood the two humans.
The monkey called the lions over. “Don’t let them anywhere near it.” She said.