It was a bright midsummer day at the Woolly Mammoth Holy Pentecostal Church of the Pleistocene Revival when Mammoth, recovered from his bout with laryngitis announced to Kentrosaurus his plans for summer vacation.
"I have been very impressed with how you handled care for the Church when The Lord saw fit for a time to deprive me of my voice," he said. "Thus, I feel it will be safe to leave the Church in your care as I spend mid August to mid September in Meditation retreat at the ancient Egyptian city of Tannis, known to our Bible as the glorious city of Zion."
"I am honored that you see fit to entrust me with something so important," said Kentrosaurus. "I will do my very best to care for the Church."
"If you do as well as you have during my illness, you will do fine. Ask the Lord to guide you as you stomp about your daily tasks; No day should begin any undertaking without a prayer of intercession to The Most High. Remember this, and you cannot fail. I have faith in you."
With these words, Woolly Mammoth set off for Egypt with such resolution of purpose that he did not look back; such was his faith in the care Kentrosaurus would give the Church.
Kentrosaurus, however was more than a little nervous; moreso than when Mammoth had laryngitis for Mammoth was still at the Church even though he could not speak and his illness was much shorter than his meditation retreat vacation would be. He thought he might visit Widow Ground Sloth and her son Junior, but they were happily in the shade of the forest that he had planted for them; being delighted that his gift had given them such joy he chose not to disturb them and decided to start trimming the grass in the Meditation garden. It was in this activity he was engaged when he received a visit from both Western Black Rhino and Woolly Rhino.
Since the formation of the Cold Weather / Megafauna DIsaster Relief Agency, ( cold weather disaster unit of the Stegosaurus Disaster Relief Agency ) lonely Western Black Rhino, who has had difficulty in adjusting to a life of extinction, finally found a good friend in Woolly Rhino, who had some 8 to 10 thousand years' experience in being extinct.
"Hail, Kentrosaurus!" said Woolly Rhino. As Kentrosaurus heard the rhinos approaching he came from the Meditation Garden to discover what they wanted; naturally, he began to think of Bible verses he could give a sermon on; he was hopeful that the way he delivered the Word of the Lord God would save some souls today.
"What can I do for you today?" he asked.
"We are passing through on our way to the African Plain in order to visit with Sister Quagga and graze there with her; we thought we might stop for a moment and seek the shade, some water, and your company for a bit, if you are not too busy." said Western Black Rhino.
"But whosoever drinks the water I give will not be thirsty; the water I give will become as a spring gushing up inside that person; giving eternal life.' Gospel of St. John, 4:14," said Kentrosaurus as he led them in the direction of the stream in the Meditation Garden.
"Thank you kindly," said Woolly Rhino, though he thought immediately afterward, 'Alas !! But we are already extinct !!'
"Have you been busy with the Megafauna Disaster Relief Agency?"
"We are at the ready," said Western Black Rhino, "But there is not much call for snow in South Africa, so we have not yet in all this time, been deployed to where we might do good."
As the rhinos drank of the water offered, Kentrosaurus observed, " The time will come, when it is the will of the Lord God."
When the rhinos had had their fill of water, and of politely tolerating Kentrosaurus' recitation of various Bible verses, they said "Thank you." and bid him farewell, leaving the Church and stomping onto the African plains in search of SIster Quagga. They found her where they expected to, in the tall grass where she was most content.
"Greetings Sister Quagga !!" said Western Black Rhino.
"Western Black Rhino ! Woolly Rhino !! How nice to see you both! It is so nice to see you making friends, Western Black Rhino. I know how hard it is adjusting to extinction the first few years."
"Extinction isn't something you get over, you just learn how to live with it and build a life around no longer having a life." said Western Black Rhino.
"And I have a new friend after I have been extinct for 8 to 10 thousand years," said Woolly Rhino. "We have so much in common!"
"Would you mind if we helped you graze and trim the grass of the plains?" asked Western Black Rhino.
"I would be delighted for the company," said Sister Quagga; "Please do! Let us make this a festive occasion !!"
"Sister Quagga is always so festive, " Western Black Rhino told Woolly Rhino.
"I must keep the plains trimmed; their true festive glory shines through when the grass is trimmed and you can see for miles," said Sister Quagga.
The three friends set to their task, and before long came upon a tree, which had African Ground Pangolin hanging by his tail from one of its branches.
"Hello, there!" said African Ground Pangolin.
"Hello, African Ground Pangolin," said Sister Quagga. "How are you this fine day?"
"I am very well ! In fact, I think I should live up to my name and come down from this tree," said African Ground Pangolin, who subsequently let go of the branch he was on, grasped the tree trunk, and clambered down the tree to the ground.
"I recognize Western Black Rhino," said African Ground Pangolin, "But who is his Woolly Friend?"
"I am named Woolly Rhino, and I am pleased to meet you, little fellow."
"How apt," observed African Ground Pangolin. "I am pleased to make your acquaintance."
"Here we are trimming the African Plains, having a relaxing evening just passing through. I hope we have not disturbed you," said Woolly Rhino.
"Not at all, I am very happy to have the company." said African Ground Pangolin. "If I don't feel up to visiting, I will simply curl into a ball and hide. You will never see me when I am camouflaged."
"How fare you of late, good friend?" asked Sister Quagga.
"Personally, I am very well," said African Ground Pangolin. "I am overall concerned about still being a critically endangered species; I do not want to become extinct such as you are, ( no offense ), so I am trying my best and hanging in there. That's why I as hanging from that tree just now."
"I see," said Western Black Rhino.
"Have you seen our friend Spinosaurus, who saved me and our friend Ms. Giraffe from the poachers ?"
"We are very careful around Spinosaurus," said Sister Quagga. "I know he helped you out, and he served with me in the little known Battle of Humboldt Museum, but he is the largest land predator in prehistory, so we are very careful because we never know when his natural instincts may take over, and we may become his lunch. A prospect I don't fancy, even if I am already extinct."
"Understandable," said African Ground Pangolin.
After this point, African Ground Pangolin asked Woolly Rhino if he might climb up and rest upon his back while he grazed with his friends.
"Of course you may," said Woolly Rhino.
Thus, until late in the day, the three friends grazed on the African Plains. Woolly Rhino and Western Black Rhino took their leave of Sister Quagga and returned to the Woolly Mammoth Holy Pentecostal Church of the Pleistocene Revival; African Ground Pangolin jumped from Woolly Rhino's back onto the back of Sister Quagga where he continued to relax, in time she returned him to the tree where he was found, and he slept in his nearby burrow after a nice meal of ants.
Western Black Rhino and Woolly Rhino again enjoyed the company of Kentrosaurus, who, expecting their return had gathered a meal for them all to enjoy, and they remained in such repast through the night, enjoying each others' company.
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