The Order of the Unicorn Page 8
CREATURE CONNECTION
Kelpie
Creatures that are half horse are quite common in the mythologies of the world.
The ancient Greeks had stories about a half horse–half serpent called a hippocamp, which means “sea horse” in Greek. The chariot of Poseidon—the god of the ocean—was pulled by hippocamps. The Greeks also created centaurs, half horse–half human, and Pegasus, half horse–half bird.
The kelpie, half horse–half sea serpent, comes from Celtic folklore. The Celtic people lived in the regions we now call Ireland and Scotland. Horse in the front, sea serpent in the back, it lives in rivers and lakes, preferring areas where the water is turbulent. The kelpie is black or blackish green. It has a mane like a horse’s, but its skin is said to be smooth like a seal’s, and as cold as death.
Unlike the shy unicorn, the kelpie is not a peaceful creature. In fact, it is the exact opposite. While swimming below the water, it pokes its eyes just above the surface, waiting for victims to pass by. Because it is a shape-shifter, it can change its fins into legs and walk onto land. If someone wants to cross the river or lake, it will offer to give that person a ride. After the unsuspecting victim climbs onto the kelpie’s back, the kelpie carries him into the water and… gobbles him up. The very worst part of all—kelpies are said to prefer the tender flesh of children. Creepy!
Why were stories told about such a terrible creature? Well, we all know that a fast-flowing river is dangerous. The same can be said about a deep lake, especially if you can’t swim. This story was probably created by parents as a way to keep their children safe. Stay away from the water or the child-eating kelpie will get you!
So, if you ever encounter a dark horse and it offers you a ride across the water, there’s one way you can tell if it’s a real horse or a kelpie—a kelpie’s mane never stops dripping.
STORY IDEAS
Imagine that you’re going to the river to do some fishing. You see a horse talking to a little girl. The horse bends its front legs, offering the girl a ride. She’s just about to climb on. But you know something that the girl doesn’t know. How do you save her?
What is your opinion? Do you think all creatures deserve to be helped, even if they are harmful to us? Are there any exceptions?
SCIENCE CONNECTION
What Are Horns?
Horns, tusks, and antlers might all stick out of an animal’s head, but they are very different things.
Tusks are teeth that keep growing and growing and growing. Tusks are made of ivory, which has been a precious material throughout human history. Therefore, the animals that grow tusks are often hunted, even when hunting them is against the law. Poachers, people who hunt illegally, are the worst enemy to animals that grow ivory tusks. These animals include walrus, elephants, warthogs, and narwhals. Yep, that’s right. A narwhal actually grows a tusk, even though it looks like a horn.
Antlers are large, branching growths found only on members of the deer species. They grow in pairs and are covered with soft, velvety skin. When the antlers reach full size, they die and fall off. Then a new pair grows.
So what exactly are horns?
Horns are hard growths that come out of the head but are permanent, which means they don’t fall off. They are living bones, and just like other bones, they don’t regrow. Horns are found on cattle, sheep, goats, and even giraffes. Most horned animals have a pair, but some sheep have multiple horns.
Why do animals grow horns? One reason is for defense. Predators can be fought with sharp jabs. Territory can be defended with swift blows. Horns can also be used as tools for rooting in the soil to dig up food, and for stripping edible bark from trees. One of the most important reasons for horns is that males use them to attract females. This is called courtship. While a human male might put on cologne and a fancy suit to attract a lady’s attention, the male antelope struts around, showing off his horns. Look at my horns! Aren’t they pretty?
While we don’t grow horns, we’ve sure found plenty of ways to use them. We transform them into musical instruments, knives, and buttons. We drink out of them and carry gunpowder in them. The Chinese use antelope horn in medicine, too!
ART IDEA
You can make your own antler with a few simple and inexpensive items. Here’s what you’ll need:
a small branch from a shrub or tree
air-drying clay
a piece of sandpaper
some white acrylic paint
a paintbrush
First, find a small branch that is forked like an antler. Remove any bits of moss. Then cover the branch with a thin layer of clay. Allow it to dry fully for a day or two. Sand it smooth. Then paint the branch white.
It’s not a real antler, but it sure looks like one!
HISTORY CONNECTION
How Bad Is Poaching?
Poaching is not a fun topic to write or read about. It can be very upsetting, but since we all share this planet, it’s a subject we should understand.
Hunting is a legal activity. It is done at certain times of the year, on appointed lands, with weapons that have been approved for such purposes.
Poaching is illegal. It is the act of taking, selling, possessing, or killing protected animals. It is one of the most serious threats to animal survival. When Maximus Steele goes to the Imaginary World to take a horn, he is a poacher.
Poaching can be as simple as dropping a crab pot into the water and collecting crabs to eat during a month when crabbing is not allowed. Off-season crabbing is harmful because there are certain times of the year when crabs mate and produce young crabs. Taking too many females can reduce the number of crabs in the next year. This is an example of how the actions of poachers can affect the food supply at large.
All sorts of creatures are the victims of poaching. Walrus and elephants are killed for their tusks. As we learned in the last section, a tusk is made of ivory, which can be worth a lot of money on the black market. The black market is a place where illegal items are sold.
Many creatures are endangered, which means they might go extinct in our lifetime. Poachers don’t seem to care. There is money to be made, so they go after animals such as black rhinos, mountain gorillas, lions, and mountain zebras, just to name a few.
What can we do? We can make sure that if we buy a pet, we never buy an exotic creature that has been taken from the wild. We can also make sure that we never buy ivory.
If you would like to learn more about poaching and ways you can help prevent this crime, ask your teacher or parent to search online for one of the many organizations dedicated to protecting endangered species.
CREATIVITY CONNECTION
Draw a Hybrid Creature
Now for something fun!
A hybrid creature is made up of two or more creatures. In this book, Pearl and Ben met a kelpie, which is part horse and part sea serpent.
It’s your turn to create your own hybrid creature. If you’re having trouble thinking of some ideas, use this helpful list. Or come up with something totally different. It’s up to you!
Combine a creature from Column A with a creature from Column B. Draw a picture of your creature. Give your creature a name.
COLUMN A COLUMN B
Giraffe Goldfish
Panda Spider
Wolf Snake
Cat Butterfly
Pig Turtle
Mouse Caterpillar
Rabbit Bumblebee
Dog Shark
Owl Octopus
Dinosaur Hummingbird
ALSO BY SUZANNE SELFORS:
The Imaginary Veterinary Series
The Sasquatch Escape
The Lonely Lake Monster
The Rain Dragon Rescue
The Order of the Unicorn
The Smells Like Dog Series
Smells Like Dog
Smells Like Treasure
Smells Like Pirates
To Catch a Mermaid
Fortune’s Magic Farm
For more great reads and free samplers,
visit
LBYRDigitalDeals.com
COVER
TITLE PAGE
WELCOME
DEDICATION
MAP
CHAPTER 1: Pancake Sandwiches
CHAPTER 2: Clubs and Crowns
CHAPTER 3: Mail-Order Worms
CHAPTER 4: Tabby’s Trip
CHAPTER 5: Guard Dragon
CHAPTER 6: The Pool Beneath
CHAPTER 7: Kid Sandwiches
CHAPTER 8: The Broken Blessing
CHAPTER 9: Not a Goat
CHAPTER 10: Portal Training
CHAPTER 11: Dragonfly Hill
CHAPTER 12: Steele’s Story
CHAPTER 13: The Unicorn King
CHAPTER 14: The Positive Path
CHAPTER 15: The Slippers’ Secret
CHAPTER 16: The Dark Forest
CHAPTER 17: Jaws of Steel
CHAPTER 18: A Pair of Crowns
CHAPTER 19: A Doctor’s Duty
CHAPTER 20: Worm Trouble
PUT YOUR IMAGINATION TO THE TEST
CREATURE CONNECTION
CREATURE CONNECTION
SCIENCE CONNECTION
HISTORY CONNECTION
CREATIVITY CONNECTION
ALSO BY SUZANNE SELFORS
COPYRIGHT
Copyright
This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, or persons, living or dead, is coincidental.
Text copyright © 2014 by Suzanne Selfors
Illustrations copyright © 2014 by Dan Santat
Cover art © 2014 by Dan Santat
Cover © 2014 Hachette Book Group, Inc.
All rights reserved. In accordance with the U.S. Copyright Act of 1976, the scanning, uploading, and electronic sharing of any part of this book without the permission of the publisher is unlawful piracy and theft of the author’s intellectual property. If you would like to use material from the book (other than for review purposes), prior written permission must be obtained by contacting the publisher at permissions@hbgusa.com. Thank you for your support of the author’s rights.
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First ebook edition: July 2014
ISBN 978-0-316-36410-2
E3