Miko sniffed at the night air, then began scraping at the ground in search of tasty morsels. As a pacarana, one of the largest rodents in the world, he should have been well accustomed to foraging, even if it meant climbing trees. Alas, for Miko, climbing was one thing he could never do, for the fear that gripped him whenever he tried was too great to overcome his hunger.
When he"d been a pup, all the other pacaranas his age had scurried up the mighty trunks as though there was nothing easier, but when Miko tried, his head swam and he lost his grip. And so he fell. Again. And again. And again.
The other pups found it hilarious, but there was nothing he could do about it. Ashamed of himself, he"d tried to run away, but his mother had brought him back and lectured him for days.
‘Not every
