There was a murmour of adoration from everyone when the D’dôdô-Sette described something particularly brave.
“So I have indeed been there, yes,” he said, with an air of indulgence. “Twice, in fact, although the second time was under duress when I was carried downstream after capsizing upon the River Fient.”
“You capsized?” an animal asked, amazed.
He nodded. “On the River Fient, yes. I was knocked over by a pregnant hippopotamus.”
“Fluff me! Did it hurt?”
“I can’t remember, as I was unconscious for three days.”
There was an astonished gasp from his audience. “Unconscious?”
“In the river, yes.”
“You were unconscious in the river?”
“Yes.”
Another animal dared ask, “How did you not drown?”
“Because my fur has a remarkable intrinsic buoyancy, don’t you know. In fact, I once rescued
