Chapter 1
The subject of extinction
A long time ago when (we thought) dodo birds existed, there was a girl dodo bird called Dodo. Dodo had lots of friends that were all types of animals, but also had some friends which always played and were close to her. These were dodo birds called: Dennis, Dom, Darla, and Darren. One sunny morning Darren’s mum invited all of Dodo’s closest friends and Dodo to a play date at her house. Dodo’s parents agreed for her to go so she went in the warm afternoon. All who had been invited were there, including Darren. First thing they did was sit down and chat. They chatted about all sorts of things, from memories to secrets.Then Dom suddenly said something very sad and dreadful ‘We are all going to be extinct one day’. Everybody agreed miserably by nodding their heads. Everybody except Dodo, she said ‘Except me because I (Hopefully) will do something’.
‘Do what?’ asked Dennis, ‘There’s nothing you can do so don’t deny it’ He said, gloomily because he wished what Dodo said would be true. Darren didn’t like unhappiness in her house so she suggested they should play Hide and Seek. They did, many rounds until Darren’s mum called for supper. It was delicious, they really did get in! After supper the others went home. While walking home Dodo said to Dennis ‘You will follow me when the others go extinct to prove I’m right, won’t you?’ Dennis stared at the ground and said yes under his breath. Then he turned to face Dodo who certainly wanted an answer. He didn’t say his reply so Dodo didn’t mind after that. Dennis kept on asking himself,what’s Dodo going to do?Dodo said ‘I will show you when the day comes’ she said like could read minds although she undoubtedly couldn't. Dennis blinked but didn't say anything. ‘Anyway extinction is far away for us so no need to worry,’ said Dodo cheerfully. OK, so Dodo does not know what to do or how to do it, she just predicts. When she got home she asked her mother, ‘When dodo birds become extinction, will there be some way others can avoid it?’ Her mother smiled friendly and said ‘Well you mustn’t give up hope, not even under the roughest circumstances.’ Dodo, as she was 12, did not get what her mother was saying but she did not bother to ask. ‘Ever heard the legend of E-trance?’ asked her mother.What a peculiar name for a legend! Thought Dodo. ‘No I haven’t’, said Dodo. ‘Well I shall tell you then!’ said Dodo’s mother(Mrs.Deran) cheerfully. She always liked to tell a good old story, and Dodo liked to hear one.
Chapter 2
The Legend of E-Trance
‘Once, a long, long time ago, there was The Queen of All Animals. She was not an animal herself; instead she was a mythical or magical creature. She was very safe as nearly no humans knew her.They knew her husband; Loch Ness. She was called Lera Nera and she knew one day lots of animals would go extinct’ said Mrs.Deran. She was telling Dodo the Legend of E-Trance. ‘How did she know that?’ asked Dodo. ‘She predicted’replied Mrs.Deran. ‘So then she wanted a way to prevent it from happening, and she did this by using her magical powers to create a garden that humans can’t enter, either because of things in the garden or the entrance to the garden’. Continued Mrs.Deran. Dodo was gazing at her mother, simply putting this wonderful tale into her head. She had to know the end; it was proof to her theory! ‘The garden had a machine that would turn an animal to any other animal, to prevent them from being extinct (except turning into humans).’This was the legend. ‘What are the Queen’s assistants like?’ asked Dodo, ‘magical creatures, just like the Queen herself ’ said Mrs.Deran, ‘But we mustn’t do this straightaway because we aren’t sure we are going to be extinct and it would be nice to stay ourselves a bit longer, wouldn’t we?’ said Mrs.Deran. Dodo knew that, but she was so happy she wanted to do it now. ‘It’s about time for you to clean yourself, Dodo, you look very dirty’, Mrs.Deran told Dodo. Dodo knew what this meant,a shower.So she went to nature’s bath, the lake and waterfall.
Chapter 3
Dodo Spells
When she got to the lake she carefully placed her little flowers and leaves in her hair that held her hair up in as ponytail aside. Then she looked at the waterfall, a fast, thick, eerie fall from the mountains crashing down on lots of animals. Of course, the animals didn’t just use the waterfall as a bath place; they used it for lots of things such as: Birthday pool parties (much better than a pool if I do say so myself),Water Park, Swimming pool, Racetrack (The animals invented a new sport called Water Running or WR which is running in water)etc. So Dodo carefully stepped into the water and stood there move. She let the water wet her claws for a moment and then moved towards the waterfall. She always did this but it was a fear she never conquered; stepping into the waterfall. As she was taking few steps she stopped. And a few moments later she ran towards the waterfall like a bull.Then stopped when she reached the waterfall. The crashes of the water were like teeny tiny raindrops and feathers pouring down. It was so gentle on Dodo. Dodo smiled. She could hear laughing animals, chatterboxes and splashes. But a sudden feeling came to her, weakness. More and more it grew until all of Dodo collapsed in to the lake, eyes closed. Sleeping.
‘Looks like a spell’, said a voice.Dodo woke up and found herself in their local hospital. ‘Honey are you OK? Dad found you and your belongings by the waterfall lake, what happened?’ asked Mrs.Deran. ‘Well, like you said I was taking a shower in the waterfall lake and then I suddenly collapsed.’ replied Dodo. ‘I may know what this means’ said a voice. It was Mr.Deran, Dodo’s dad. ‘What?’ asked everybody except Mr.Deran. ‘Only because I said it doesn’t mean I can explain it’ replied Mr.Deran. Dodo felt angry and disappointed, angry because if you know what it is (or might know) then you should know how to explain it. She felt disappointed because she was never going to find out why this weird action has taken place. Dodo asked ‘Can we go home now? I’m feeling better’. Her mum nodded so then they waved goodbye to the doctor and went down the path home. Suddenly Dodo had an idea;I don’t need dad to say it for me to know it, I can figure it out myself! I’ll go through the books(These books are not human books. They were leaves with berry ink writing on them stuck together by carving two holes on the side of each leaf and carving two holes on the side of each leaf. Then simply putting plant stems through the holes to finish making the book)in dad’s bedroom!So while her parents walked, Dodo ran home. When they reached home Dodo ran straight to her father’s bedroom and searched among the bookshelves. ‘How to improve at tennis, How to cook, How to have good eyesight, How to become a comedy pro, The true tale of King Tiger VIII, Why Queen Lera Nera ruled instead of her husband,Tennis book of knowledge at (and in) all times, Why Breast stroke is easier than Freestyle for children, Dodo Spells and Cures. Aha!’ said Dodo. She opened the book called Dodo spells and Cures and flipped through the leaf pages.
Finally Dodo found a page with the headline saying: ‘Collapsing and sleeping suddenly in water’. ‘Well this looks like it’ said Dodo to herself and she started reading the page. It wasn’t very long like Dodo expected it to be, with loads of detailed explanations she can’t even understand. Then she looked at the book’s title. She found extra words! Instead of saying ‘Dodo spells and cures’ it said ‘Dodo spells and cures for beginners’. Now Dodo had very good eyesight and she did not see that at the beginning so it must mean only one thing to Dodo Magic! Her eyes twinkled with brightness like stars. But she wanted to be quick before his dad came in (her dad always came into his bedroom at time likes this) but she also wanted to be the first to find the unexplained spell. You see; Dodo knew her dad would come to his bedroom and find the book she was holding. So now Dodo knew exactly why the explanation was so easy, for beginners. To be honest with you, Dodo was a beginner herself, since she did not go to Hogwarts and study Potions and cures in the dungeon with Professor. Snape while hating him like Harry Potter did! So she returned to the page she was reading and read the last few sentences. OK,fine the last few words. It only had one sentence! A short sentence. Dodo could feel the words in her mind flying like the Quid ditch broomsticks and flying carpets. (Who doesn't’ like a bit of Harry Potter?) She loved the words, all of them. After reading that simple sentence she smiled, closed the book, put it back on the shelf and ran out of the room. She had a marvelous idea. It was Sunday, Schools tomorrow and she is in secondary school! OK the last one didn’t have to do with anything but what I’m trying to tell you are that she wanted to ask the chemistry and science teacher about extinction.The book said that you are getting over excited about the Legend of E-Trance and needs to calm down.
Chapter 4
Secondary school science
‘There last one done!’ said a man as he delivered a plate of a cooked Dodo bird onto a wooden table full of other men sitting on wooden seats. Mrs.Deran, Mr.Deran, Dodo and Dennis were in the forest beside the magical place in E-Trance and were ready to enter the door to a legend. Then, suddenly there was a voice, it was female. The voice was strangely familiar… ‘Dodo wake up, you’ll be late for school!’ shouted Mrs.Deran. Dodo was still sleeping in her comfortable bed and was just beginning to open her eyes, she realised that she had to ask the science teacher about extinction. So Dodo woke immediately from her dream. ‘YES YES YES!!!!!!!!!’Shouted Dodo as she jumped out of bed to get ready for school, she just couldn’t wait. ‘What’s the big rush there?’ asked Mrs.Deran as she walked into the living room. ‘Nothing’ said Dodo giggling slightly. When Dodo got to school she looked at her leaf time table (The school timetable written on a leaf) and just saw that today’s first lesson was science. ‘Perfect!’ murmured Dodo to herself as she walked to her locker. Locker number 128 was Dodo’s one.It was a very busy place, the hall. Dodo opened her locker made out of wood she was still planning what to say to the science teacher about extinction. Dodo slowly took out her lovely silk pencil case she got from the silkworm workshop and her lovely writing feather from one of her friends, Esla the Eagle.
She had also bought two blueberry ink pots her mum got from the Fruit Use shop. As the clock ticked by, Dodo was waiting to go in to the chemistry room (The room where science class was held).But when she couldn’t wait any longer and the bell still hasn’t ringed, she ran into the chemistry room. ‘First one here, Dodo!’ said Mr.Gares the science and chemistry teacher. ‘Good’ whispered Dodo to herself silently. ‘Is there anything special you want to tell me?’ asked Mr.Gares. ‘Yes there is Mr.Gares’ replied Dodo, ‘Is there any possible way that animals which are extinct can save the last of their species?’.Dodo was very excited to hear the answer. ‘Yes’ replied Mr.Gares, ‘But those animals have to make sure they are going to be extinct, they have to prove it’. Dodo knew what this meant, the species have to at least only have four of their kind left to be sure they are going to be extinct, it’s the law. Dodo was very excited about the words that Mr.Gares said. ‘Well it’s not really science, it’s more nature’ Mr.Gares told Dodo, ‘But of course I don’t mind making it for the subject of the day’.Now Dodo was even more excited. Then suddenly the bell rang (terrible song of the birds) and all the other students rushed in. Dodo immediately found a seat opposite Dennis’s. And so the lesson began! ‘Today’s subject is extinction!’ announced Mr.Gares. All of the class look quite shocked. But Dennis was even more shocked than the rest.Mr.Gares first told them the legend of E-Trance.Then he asked them to draw and make the magical place on a white,pale leaf(like paper).After a few moments Mimi the panda asked,Is it possible that when one spieces of animals is about about to go extinct, some of them can escape extinction?’See,pandas are quite lazy and sometimes just don't get things. Mr.Gares sighed and said‘Yes,Mimi. Very possible’ and while he said this he saw Dennis staring suspiciously at Dodo and wondering about the subject ‘extinction’. ‘Dennis, what did I just say?’ asked Mr.Gares like a typical teacher. ‘Umm, that escaping extinction isn’t possible sir?’ answered Dennis. Mr.Gares sighed once again and said‘that’s the opposite of what I said, I said it’s VERY (He shouted very out loud like a typical ape) POSSIBLE (shouted once again, typically)’ Now Dennis was very very very very (times one hundred verys) shocked + surprised. He spent one second staring at Dodo with the Dennis Death Stare which surprisingly does not give you death but gives very old animals a heart attack and that’s why Dennis never does this to senior animals (animals over 20 which 60 for humans). Dodo ignored completely, she was too happy and proud to be given a heart attack. So they carried on their work of drawing the magical place from E-Trance. Most of the class imagined it was these for words: HORRIBLE. TERRIBLE. MESSY. BAD. But Dodo was different; she had the garden the opposite. With human security ice cream bushes, berry trees that can scare off any human, spiky grass only fit for an animal and other wonderful dreams only for animals. It was filled with detailed and beautiful drawings. Dodo loved it and did not even like the trend,the five words of not goodness.
Chapter 5
Runaway prey
So seven years later (because in those seven years nothing happened) Dodo is nineteen and it’s about time that the fifth last dodo bird (Darla) is eaten. Dodo, Dennis,Mrs.Deran and Mr.Deran were in a cave watching Darla being cooked. Now only four dodos are left, they are now able to proceed to the magical garden in E-Trance, it’s the law. ‘Curse them!’ whispered Dodo as she watched her close friend being served on a plate and evil humans smacking their ruby red lips.They were just about outside of Hictan; the place where the Derans lived. Hictan was not just full of dodos, but full of eagles, tigers, pandas, crows,pigeons, owls, parrots, lions, penguins, dogs, cats, wolves, cheetahs,leopards, monkeys, apes, seals, bears, hamsters, rats, mouse and lots of other mammals. It was not as modern as the human world but it was very civilized indeed. Now carrying on with the story, there was long wooden tables set out which the humans were sitting on. Lying before the wooden tables was a black pot like a cauldron. It smelt wonderful to humans; the cooked animals it smelled of. But it was deeply disgusting to animals, deeply. Of course, now Dodo wanted the humans to be cursed of course but she had no powers, did she?
‘Now’ whispered Dodo to the others. The cave was dark but the morning light shined through itand made the cave as bright the sun. She was saying now to the meaning of ‘go’to the magical place. The others heard, and formed a neat, straight line.‘Fire!’ shouted Dodo after the line was created. Dodo went first and ran to the other side. Then Mrs.Deran, Mr.Deran next and finally… It didn’t happen. Dennis just stood there, staring at the other side. ‘This is a matter of life and death Dennis, want to die or want to live?’ asked Dodo (It was more of a statement than question) Dennis didn’t answer because he just didn’t want to.He has made up his mind, he was going to cross and run to the legendary place.So his claws were in a running position and, goooooo!!!!!! He was as fast as the cheetah (He won the 500m, 400m, 300, 200m, 100m, 80m (Darla won the 90m),70m, 30m, (The 60m and 40m were won by Darla and the 50m was won by Dodo, the 600m was also won by Dodo) but though he was as fast as a cheetah a man still spotted him. The man was with the other men eating Darla. The man came over and punched Dennis; he caught Dennis.Then he turned his head and saw the others. He then came over to catch all of the dodo birds. Paralyzed,the dodos stood still. The man caught them. And, carefully, he took the dodos back to the back to the long, wooden tables.‘Four more, ain’t it such a feast!’ cheered the man. Dodo turned from sad to angry.
She originally was angry because of the humans eating Darla but she was also sad because she was giving up hope, hope to escape extinction. Then a loud ‘Ouch!’ was heard,it was Dennis kicking at the man. The man strangled Dennis and murmured ‘Beastly thing!’ Mrs.Deran shouted ‘You stop strangling that friend of my daughters! You stop strangling that boy you stupid, dirty, uncivilised beast!’Of course the man didn’t understand her so Mrs.Deran started kicking. Mr.Deran started kicking too. Dodo suddenly by mistake saw them and kicked too. The manlet go of all the dodo birds he caught in his hands: Mrs.Deran, Mr.Deran, Dodo Deran and Dennis Dricombe. The man shouted at the other men to help him. The other men chased the dodos but they were too slow and when they reached the magical place they couldn’t go in (did I mention there was a human-free-invincible-to climb-over-gate?) instead they were just thrown 5 miles away with their belongings. The dodos were already in the place which was in the legends. And you wouldn’t believe what it looked like;it was just like Dodo’s drawing in science class. As beautiful, human free,fun, delicious as ever. You can’t ever picture this in your wildest dreams! No wonder it’s in a legend! It’s absolutely amazing!
Chapter 6
The place of the dreams
They all wondered around the place. Dennis kept on looking at ice cream bushes and finally decided to pick one, a strawberry ice cream. Mr.Deran found the ‘Frozen Coke Rink’ which was just a normal ice rink but made of frozen Coke a cola. ‘Yum!’said Mr.Deran as he had a taste of the frozen coke. Mrs.Deran jumped onto ‘The massaging chair mainly made of real Eagle Feathers’ and as you can guess, it’s a very comfortable massaging chair made mainly of eagle feathers. It’s obvious,that isn’t it? Now who’s left? Dodo. She didn’t find anything, or do anything.She just walked around looking and staring at everything. No, it was not boring at all (Since she was a young adult already; remember, 19?). Then something caught her eyes. A very clean, modern, futuristic machine. It was the transformer, no not the alien-who-can-turn-into-cars one, the machine which could turn an endangered or nearly extinct animal into any other animal except a human. It was fantastic. Dreams beyond dreams. And yet, in a legend, it was standing there on a little pale hill in front of the one who had hope, hope to escape extinction. That was Dodo and she would always be the first to hope that.
Looking around to be sure nobody was looking (Nobody was; Dennis has joined Mr.Deran on the‘Frozen Coke ice rink’ and was licking like mad, Mrs.Deran has been picking berries the flavor of oranges and was now was sitting on the ‘Massaging chair made of mainly real eagle feathers’ looking at the view and eating orange-flavored berries.) Dodo climbed the little hill leading to the transformer. When she reached the top she took a deep breath and entered the transformer. She couldn’t believe it, so modern yet so old. It shined, was so clean, so futuristic Dodo had to shake her head to get things right. It was true; not a dream, not a daydream, not a nightmare, not creativity in imagination. It was a cylinder. The whole thing was quite transparent, since it had a lot of glass. It could fit about on of the biggest sizes of giraffes, so pretty tall and wide. The roof was covered with white-painted metal to cover the rain and to protect the head. Inside, there was the glass all around the machine except a pale blue wall made of metal with lots of buttons on it; it was also encrusted with lots of real blue gems of all shades. There was a diamond at the middle of the two sides of the walls. The same buttons were repeated three times: top, bottom and middle. Dodo looked at the middle buttons. Fifty at the right and one on the left. On the right there was a selection of animals, fifty to be precise. And on the left one button saying “Type in” Dodo looked through the fifty first and then decided to choose the ‘type in’ button. When she pressed that button a keypad immediately appeared on the metal wall. The keypad was such a pale blue and also it was nearly transparent. But although it was a very pale blue the letters were black, and as clear as a new, human keypad. There were only letters because animal names did not have anything but letters (normally). She though for some time, probably 5 minutes and then typed in Swan. (Yes she knows how to type!) Immediately a heap of white smoke came. Now all Dodo could see was rainbow-colored swirls. Then, a second later, everything disappeared: The smoke, swirls and a lovely, dizzy rose scent which I didn’t mention. Now everything was clear. The futuristic walls and buttons and the magical garden seen by the transparent glass walls. The doors opened, Dodo stepped out of the machine and Viola! Dodo was not the normal Dodo; oh no, she was the most elegant, beautiful (Although she was beautiful before, very) whitest Dodo ever! Mr.Deran, Mrs.Deran and Dennis all looked at her and gasped. ‘E-trance’s mystical machine!’ shouted Dodo and she stepped down the hill with her swan flippers. Dodo’s parenst and Dennis all smiled and shouted ‘OUR TURN!’ and formed a line in front of the hill. Mrs.Deran first, then Mr.Deran and last but not least, Dennis. (Who was jumping wildly with excitement)
Chapter 7
The swan stars
When Mrs. Deran came out, you couldn’t see her age (And I’m not going to tell you how old she is)her feather all pure clean and white, elegant wings and eyes, and in the whole,a beautiful, kind swan. Mr.Deran, well let’s just say he was well cool. And finally, Dennis. The pure white spread over him, his shining beak and black eyes glistened (his eyes were a bit more shiny than Dodo’s parents but not Dodo)Nobody would believe this was Dennis unless you actually saw it. ‘Right then,off we go!’ said Mrs.Deran cheerfully. ‘To where?’ asked Dodo. ‘Well to the place we will live of course! To the Thames!’ replied Mrs.Deran. And she walked forward leading the way. Everybody followed her, all the dodo birds. And they opened the gate and out of the garden, it was not the village Hictan anymore:Oh no, it was the stone steps down the Thames, from London! ‘What?!’ whispered Dennis. ‘I don’t know’ said Dodo. Then all eyes (humans and dogs) turned on them. The humans took out their phones and cameras and flashed. They kept on taking pictures as the used-to-be-dodo-birds-but-now-swans walked down the smooth, stone path. Then, suddenly by a coincidence, the news photographer appeared and took pictures too (that’s why this evening’s Evening Standard had the front page with the pictures that the photographer took and the headline:‘Swan Stars’.
The swans (I’m giving up on that long name) stepped down the stone steps and into the Thames.The water was nice and cool, perfect for summer (it was July) and the new swans turned around to face the humans, which disappeared almost immediately (with all their things and pets) ‘weird’ said Dodo in almost an whisper. This mystery was soon solved as The animal Queen Lera Nera appeared in front of the new swans as they turned around to face her. She was alone, not accompanied by anybody. All the swans in the Thames bowed. Even Dodo, Dodo’s parent and Dennis. Then Lera Nera swam towards the new swans and said ‘You have come through the transformer and used to be dodos, I now allow you to live here as citizens of the Thames since you have had hope escaping the animal horror. And you (She faced Dennis) your parents died so…’ Dennis knew what would come; orphanage. He waited for the word to be said but Lera Nera was waiting for something. Silence, was broken as Mrs.Deran said ‘May we adopt him, me and my husband? My daughter is also good friends with him your majesty.’ Lera Nera smiled and replied in a cheerful way ‘Of course you may, it has a better future for him than in a orphanage.' Then she pointed west ‘There is the University for transformed animals. I will register both your children and you may start next week. It is free with no extra paying.’ Both Mrs.Deran and Mr.Deran looked shocked and said ‘Thank you majesty’. So now Dennis was not just friends with Dodo, he was her brother. And they grew up to be very great since they did great in university.
