The Alternative Tea Party

The Alternative Tea Party



Good afternoon, ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls. Welcome to a tea party with a difference. Allow me to introduce myself. I am Jet the Jaguar, self-elected leader of the group.

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Come follow me into the Jungle clearing. Meet Barry the Bat, he spends most of his time asleep in the old teapot that nestles over there by the old alter stone, left behind by missionaries.

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Iggy the Iguanna is our expert on fruit.

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Francesca the Flamingo specializes in seafood and coral.

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Polly the Guacamaya's field is nuts and berries.

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Miguel the Sider Monkey is our budding politician who chatters incessantly all day about nothing in particular.

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Me well I excel at hunting.

On the day in question, we were all gathered in the clearing next to the old alter stone, shaded by the trees from the fiery heat of father sun. We were all busy talking about nothing in particular, wondering who was going to make the tea. If you please... suddenly, out of nowhere, an upright being crashed into our tea party, scattering our food everywhere, what a pandemonium. Everyone except Iggy dashed for cover. Poor Barry was sent flying into the near by stream. What a commotion that caused! There was Barry holding on for dear life, coughing, spluttering, half asleep, half awake, cursing the very being who had disturbed him. Francesca quickly waded into the water; then rescued him, and the teapot. Miguel then dried off Barry's wet fur on his own dry fur and laid him on a rock to dry out in what was left of the sun's heat at noon.

"Off with her head"! Shrieked Polly.
"I'not so sure," said a sleepy Iggy.
"They would not have hesitated in the old days"! Trilled Polly once again.
"Oh! do be be quite Polly I implore you," insisted Iggy, as he tried to dose in the sun.


Silence fell as Francesca, regally looked over her pinznez, at the situation before her. Miguel sat looking at the stranger who just stood there looking us all up and down with a curious eye.

"Ah, um, who are you"? Miguel asked the stranger.
"Cat got your tongue," I hissed.

The stranger continued to stand and stare, then she slowly knelt down in the undergrowth, offering the hand of friendship. All animals, except Miguel slowly moved round to hide behind me. Barry retreated to the teapot, working on the assumption that bad things could not happen to him twice in one day.

The stranger? Well, she knelt there smiling her hand still held out waiting for some response. Nothing happened. Suddenly, Miguel let out a blood curdling scream, which caused the animals out of fear.... to dash for safety. The animals of the jungle let out the danger cry. What a hullabaloo that was. It was so unlike Miguel to act in this way. Had the Stranger injured him?

The stranger continued to kneel there, not even flinching: Miguel looked at the stranger then at us with a puzzled expression on his face, remembering that an uncle of his had once worked in laboratory. Where apes had been taught to communicate with humans using hand gestures. So, now feeling very important for the first time in his life, and was wondering if this would help his political career? Miguel puffed himself up to his full height and proceeded to make the hand gestures that his uncle had taught him. To his utter amazement, the stranger finger-spelt her name was Moon Flower.

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All the animals watched awe-struck, as they slowly crept out from behind me to see for themselves what was happening.

Moon Flower explained that she was deaf; she had been out walking and found herself lost in the jungle and was very thirsty. What she needed now more than anything else was a nice cup of tea.

"Tea... tea! did someone mention tea"? Barry squeaked in his funny, high-pitched voice. "I will have a large black one please with four sugars please, please" he said as he squeezed his way out of the teapot spout. Well, Moon Flower, not wanting to appear greedy, offered to make them all tea she had wrecked their tea party. Francesca took her off to where the water tasted the sweetest.

Moon Flower then put the old teapot on to boil, she then took out four teabags from her camera bag along with sugar and powdered milk, before long they were all enjoying a delicious cup of hot freshly brewed tea. To Iggy's amazement he actually enjoyed the hot sweet fluid. the tea all gone, Barry once more retreated to the warm dark sanctuary of the teapot burping as he went.

The other animals had now decided that for an upright being Moon Flower was not too bad. All the animals communicated to her through Miguel. Finally they all sprawled out to dose in what was left of the afternoon sun. I curled myself around Moon Flower as I settled for a siesta.

I purred and chatted with Miguel, "Moon Flower must be returned to her pack before they
come looking for her with guns". I nuzzled her awake encouraging her to all fours. Then gently but firmly, I batted Moon Flower behind her knees to encourage her to walk on, I took her sleeve in my mouth, Moon Flower followed.

Off we went through the jungle, passed the ball court now overgrown and abandoned. It was sad to see that something, once so grand neglected. It was possible that the upright beings did not know of its existence, as the jungle takes over very quickly. We passed the temples where once the priests worshiped and gave offering to the gods. I kept nudging Moon Flower forward as though she were one of my own cubs.

The lights of the settlement were glowing brightly in the distance. Having gone as far as I dared I gave Moon Flower a final nudge good bye. Moon Flower turned and gave me a huge hug and a kiss goodbye.... I sat up on my hind legs, front paws on either of her shoulders, nuzzled into her neck and gave her a lick, before disappearing into the safety of the jungle once more.

Moon Flower, now sad and with a heavy heart, made her way towards the bright lights of the settlement. Friend and relatives all rushed out to greet her, demanding to know where she had been. Moon Flower sighed; it was her fault that she had run away in the first place, because she felt so lonely and cut off since she had lost her hearing. No one had bothered to learn the only language she could use, they all just stood and shouted at her, becoming angry when she did not respond to them. After all, Miguel who was only a monkey had learnt! Moon Flower then explained as best as she could she had fallen asleep in the heat of the sun and had a strange dream where she had gone to a tea party attended by animals. After all, who would believe her, if she really did have tea with the animals!

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