Pudu peered upwards after the first drop landed on his snout.
“It’s going to storm like it hasn’t stormed since ought-two,” Mr. Alligator had told him. But Pudu, being the smallest deer in the world, had few cares. When he was hungry, he nibbled grass. When he was sleepy, he lied down in a bed of leaves. And now that it was raining, he simply trotted under the overhanging rock. The pitter-patter of rain was soothing, and though the intensity was increasing, Pudu drifted off to dreams of the Andes.
He awoke to a clap of thunder. Groggily he realized something was amiss. He stood up and stretched, and it came to him – he was hoof-deep in water! His enclosure was full of rain, and the water level was rising!
Pudu dashed about, splashed about, trying to figure out what to do. He couldn’t swim, couldn’t fly away, and at maybe a foot tall, if the rain kept up he’s soon be in deep Pudu.
He knew it was time to get to higher ground. In a not-so-smooth motion he hurdled over the glass and hit the pavement running. He was almost to the zoo’s exit when he stopped short.
“My friends!” he exclaimed. “Mr. Alligator can swim, and Mr. Parakeet can fly, but all the other animals need my help.”
Mustering up all the courage in his little body, he went to see his best friend Mr. Goat.
“Mr. Goat, Mr. Goat,” he cried over the sound of the storm, “it’s raining too hard, we have to get out of here!”
Mr. Goat shook his shaggy head. “No way, no how. This is where I live, and I’m not leaving.”
Mr. Goat was being stubborn, but that was no surprise. Mr. Goat was the stubbornest animal in the zoo.
“Please,” Pudu pleaded. “It’s not safe here!” And indeed the rain was calf-deep on Mr. Goat.
“Uh-uh,” he said. “I heard there’s no feed machines on the outside. Who will feed me, and who will pet me? I’d rather stay here and drown!”
Pudu wasn’t wise, but he knew the best way to argue with a stubborn goat was to be even stubborner.
“Mr. Goat, I’m going to stand here and sing at the top of my lungs until you agree to come with me!” And he sang, loudly and badly, for 10 minutes, until finally-
“Fine!” Mr. Goat said exasperatedly. “I’ll come with you, if you’ll just shut up!”
Pleased as punch, Pudu trotted off with Mr. Goat behind him.
“We have to get Mr. Coyote,” he said.
“You’ll never convince Mr. Coyote to come with us,” Mr. Goat said. “He’s the cleverest animal in the zoo!”
Pudu wasn’t wise, but he knew the best way to argue with a clever coyote was to be even cleverer.
“Mr. Coyote, you have to come with us! It’s raining too hard.”
“Not in ten-score fortnights, my diminutive quadrupedal friend,” he replied. Pudu and Mr. Goat just looked at each other and shrugged.
“Look how hard it’s raining,” Pudu said. “You’ll drown!” And indeed the rain was hip-deep on Mr. Coyote.
“I simply can’t,” he said. “My vast collection of periodicals will never stand up to this deluge. I cannot leave it behind.”
“You must!” Pudu cried.
“I can’t.”
“You can!”
“I can’t.”
“You can!”
“I can’t.”
“You can’t!”
“I can.”
“You can’t!”
“I can.”
“You can’t!”
“Listen, my dear boy,” Mr. Coyote said determinedly. “I can leave here, and I shall, despite your protests, moving though they may be. Now let’s away, posthaste!”
Pleased as punch, Pudu trotted off with Mr. Goat and Mr. Coyote behind him.
“We have to get Mr. Puma,” he said.
“You’ll never convince Mr. Puma,” the animals said. “He’s the meanest animal in the zoo!”
Pudu wasn’t wise, but he knew the best way to argue with a mean Puma was to be even meaner.
“Mr. Puma, you have to come with us! It’s raining too hard!”
“Back off, kid,” Mr. Puma growled, flashing his claws. “I’m not going anywhere.”
“But you must! You’ll surely drown!” And indeed the rain was chest-deep in Mr. Puma.
“I told you, I’m not leaving.”
“You’re coming with us,” a frustrated Pudu cried, “even if I have to-“
“If you have to what?” Mr. Puma said with a smile, if you can call it that when a cat bares its fangs. “If you have to, heh, make me?”
Pudu narrowed his eyes. He puffed himself up as big as he could, even if that was a foot high and ten pounds, soaking wet, which he was. He lowered his head, displaying his horns, which were little more than nubs on his forehead.
“If I have to make you,” he said through gritted teeth.
Mr. Puma eyed him coolly. His hackles were up and he was crouched as if to pounce on the pitiful Pudu. But then he relaxed.
“OK kid,” he said. “It’s not worth fighting over. Let’s go.”
Pleased as punch, Pudu trotted off with Mr. Goat and Mr. Coyote and Mr. Puma behind him.
“We have to get Mr. Eagle,” he said.
“You’ll never convince Mr. Eagle,” the animals said. “He’s the proudest animal in the zoo!”
Pudu wasn’t wise, but he knew the best way to argue with a proud Eagle was to be even prouder.
“Mr. Eagle, you have to come with us. It’s raining too hard!”
“Ah, Pudu, it’s good to see you before the end,” Mr. Eagle said. “I am glad to see you’re all safe. But I’m not leaving.”
“You have to! Or you’ll drown!” And indeed the rain was beak-deep on Mr. Eagle.
“I can’t,” he said sadly. “Once I would have flown away. But my wings have been clipped. And I won’t walk.”
“Please,” Pudu pleaded. “It’s nothing to be ashamed of!”
Mr. Eagle drew himself up to his full height. “I am the symbol of America,” he rumbled. “I would rather drown than be seen walking down Roosevelt Avenue.”
Pudu nodded slowly. “I understand you completely, though you may not believe it. You are a majestic eagle, and I just a little Pudu. But I am a proud Pudu.”
He drew himself up to his full height. Drenched by the downpour and sniffling, he was a sorry sight. But he did not look ashamed or even humbled.
“I am a proud Pudu,” he continued, “and a proud friend. I set out today to make sure my friends were OK, and that means every single one of my friends. Maybe I’m proud to a fault, Mr. Eagle, but I’m not leaving here without you.”
Then a tear came to Mr. Eagle’s eye, though to this day he insists it was a raindrop. “Let’s go,” he smiled.
Pleased as punch, Pudu trotted off with Mr. Goat and Mr. Coyote and Mr. Puma and Mr. Eagle and all the other animals behind him. Pudu led them out of the zoo and up the hill where they took shelter from the rain under the elevated subway tracks. They must have looked a strange bunch, but Pudu didn’t care. He was used to odd looks. After all, he was the smallest deer in the world.
