The Boy and the Musk Ox

The Boy and the Musk Ox - Author : Ebru Mina TOMURCUK

In the far north, where the snow sparkles like sugar, lived a boy named Kai. He had warm brown skin, short black hair, and a bright blue parka with white fur trim. Every day, Kai watched the animals that lived near his village. He loved to learn how they survived in the cold, snowy Arctic. 1

One morning, Kai saw a herd of musk oxen on the snowy hill. They were big and shaggy, with long curved horns and humped shoulders. Their dark brown coats looked warm and thick. Kai pulled on his orange mittens and grey snow boots. "I want to learn about you," he whispered to the musk oxen. 2

Kai watched the herd every day. He saw a large bull with long curved horns stand at the edge, calm and steady. A mother with a reddish brown coat kept her little calf close. The calf had fluffy light brown fur and tiny nub horns. Its big dark eyes looked at Kai curiously. Kai smiled and said, "Hello, little one." 3

Kai noticed that the musk oxen always stayed close together. They nibbled on grass and moss, never wandering far from the herd. The strong adults stood around the outside, and the little ones stayed in the middle. "Why do you stand like that?" Kai wondered. He decided to watch and find out. 4

One day, Kai brought his small wooden model of a musk ox to show his friend. "Look," he said, "I made this to look like the big bull." His friend smiled. "But why do they all stand so close?" she asked. Kai shrugged. "I don't know yet, but I will find out," he said. He kept watching the herd. 5

That afternoon, a cold wind blew across the Arctic. Kai pulled his hood up and watched the musk oxen. The mother musk ox nudged her calf toward the middle of the herd. The big bull moved to the outer edge. The others stood shoulder to shoulder. Kai saw that they were making a circle, with the little ones safe inside. 6

Kai crept closer to see better. The musk oxen didn't seem to mind. They stood very still, facing outward. The big bull with long curved horns stood at the front, his small dark eyes watching the snowy hills. The mother stood beside him, her gentle eyes watchful. The calf peeked out from between them. 7

Suddenly, Kai saw a wolf on the ridge. The wolf was far away, but it was looking at the herd. Kai's heart beat fast. He wanted to run, but he stayed still. The musk oxen didn't run. They stood even closer together. The strong ones faced the wolf, and the little ones hid behind them. The wolf waited. 8

The wolf took a step closer. The big bull lowered his head and showed his long curved horns. The mother musk ox stood firm. The other adults pressed close, making a wall of shaggy brown fur. The calf huddled in the middle with the other young ones. Kai held his breath. The wolf stared at the wall of horns. 9

The wolf looked at the circle of musk oxen and saw no way in. The strong adults faced outward, and the little ones were tucked safely inside. The wolf turned and trotted away over the snow. Kai let out a big breath. "You did it!" he whispered. "You worked together!" The musk oxen relaxed and went back to eating. 10

Kai understood now. The musk oxen stood together to stay safe. The strong ones protected the little ones. The circle kept them warm and kept danger out. "That's teamwork," Kai said. He thought about his wooden model. He wanted to build a whole herd, standing in a circle, just like the real musk oxen. 11

That evening, Kai took out his wooden model and some small sticks. He made more musk oxen, one by one. He put the big bull on the outside, facing out. He put the little calf in the middle. He placed the mother beside the bull. Soon, he had a whole herd in a circle. "This is how they stay safe," he said. 12

The next day, Kai showed his model to his friends. "Look," he said, "this is how the musk oxen protect each other. The strong ones stand on the outside, and the little ones stay in the middle. They work as a team." His friends were amazed. "That's clever!" they said. Kai smiled. "Cooperation helps animals survive," he told them. 13

Kai's model sat on a shelf in his classroom. Children came to look at it. They saw the big bull with his long curved horns, the mother with her gentle eyes, and the little calf with its tiny nub horns. "They stick together," Kai explained. "That's how they stay warm and safe." The children nodded and smiled. 14

Kai still visits the musk oxen on the snowy hill. He watches the big bull stand guard and the mother keep her calf close. He knows that the herd will always be safe because they work together. The calf has grown a little, but it still stays in the middle. Kai waves to them. "Good teamwork," he says. 15

And when the cold Arctic wind blows, Kai thinks of the musk oxen standing close in their warm circle. He knows that sticking together is the best way to stay safe. He looks at his model and smiles. "Teamwork," he whispers, "keeps everyone warm and protected." The musk oxen stand together on the snowy hill, strong and safe.