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 Posted: Tue Mar 08, 2011 12:37 pm
 It was a fine day. The sun was shining, the water was cool. Scents on the breeze tickled her nose. The cub, Parvaneh, had found herself a lovely little water puddle. It wasn't going to be little for long. Unable to resist the call of the water, she started splashing and giggling. Her paws turned up the mud along the bottom. Very quickly she was playing in a mud puddle. That seemed alright to Parvaneh until she found herself nearly belly deep in mud with the rest of her splattered all over. The once black cub laughed hard at the sounds the mud made when she tried to pull her paws free. Slurp! Squizzz! Around and around she pranced just to hear the mud 'talk'.
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Posted: Tue Mar 08, 2011 12:58 pm
 Amani stopped where she had been bringing in the skin of an antelope for the den. She had cleaned it thoroughly and left it to dry for a bit, and wanted to get it in before it started raining again. Perhaps, she thought, she would give it to Behnam for his new harem. She stopped as she saw a decisively muddy little cub playing in a puddle. Very carefully she took her pelt and hung it on a nearby branch before going to talk to the cub. Mud was fine for getting out of a lion's fur, but getting it on a gift would be quite impolite. "Hello, little one," she said with a smile. "You look like you're having fun there!"
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Posted: Tue Mar 08, 2011 1:46 pm
Parvaneh looked up and stopped when a pretty adult female came toward her. She admired the purple lines along her back. Suddenly she realized just how muddy she was and futilely tried to wipe some mud from her paws.
"Hello." When the lioness smiled, she returned it in her cubby way. "Oh I am! It was a water puddle, but then mud got everywhere you see. It sure makes funny noises when you walk in it." She put her paw back into the mud and lifted it out to demonstrate.
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Posted: Tue Mar 08, 2011 2:03 pm
"Yes, yes it does," Amani said, checking the sky before deciding that it might be just a tad too cold for the cub to be soaked to the skin. "But if it dries it'll be very irritating," she told the cub, sitting down next to the puddle. "And itchy. You might want to get out soon."
"My name is Beybanu Amani," she introduced herself. "My pad is Nywele. And who are you, if I might ask?"
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Posted: Thu Mar 10, 2011 12:43 pm
Parvaneh gapped at the lioness then her green eyes looked at the mud covering her body. It felt fun and squishy between her toes right now. She didn't want to be irritated and itchy. Reluctantly she stepped from her mud wallow. A trail of mud prints followed her out.
"If you think it will, then maybe I'd better get it off." She stated uncertainly. This adult surely knew what she was talking about. Parvaneh gave a smile.
"Oooooooh, your a Beybanu? That's so nice. It's a pleasure to meet you Beybanu Amani. I'm Banu Parvaneh." The little cub wiggled sending a few mud drops out. Normally she wouldn't have added the banu part, but she wanted to be formal like the adult.
"My pad is my papa, Misilivuma."
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Posted: Thu Mar 10, 2011 1:11 pm
"I'll help you wash it off at the lake, why don't I?" Amani asked, always the mothering type. "But I will tell you, mud is an excellent way to camouflage your scent while hunting, so if you have a little bit left on you, you should tell your mother you were practicing!"
She started for the water, expecting the little one to follow. They needed to get her washed before the sun started going down, for certain. "It is a pleasure to meet you, Banu Parvaneh," she added with a smile.
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Posted: Thu Mar 10, 2011 7:16 pm
"You will?" She sounded impressed. When Amani suggested she take it off, she hadn't liked the idea of doing it all by herself. Her fur was really muddy. "Thank you Beybanu Amani."
Her ears perked up at the dropped tidbit. She had a reason to get muddy, or at least a little if what Amani said was right. Maybe she could impress one of her family members by learning that. Parvaneh scampered after the adult, "I liked meeting you too!"
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Posted: Thu Mar 10, 2011 7:42 pm
"Why, thank you!" Amani said happily. Ah, she did love cubs. She wished that there were more of them in her den, actually. Perhaps she could talk Nywele--no, that was something that would happen on its own sooner or later, she decided.
"Now, Banu Parvaneh, would you like to hear about what else mud is good for?" she asked, smiling. Since the little cub liked it so much, it seemed only smart to tell her all the uses!
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Posted: Sat Mar 12, 2011 2:26 pm
"No thank you!" The cub started giggling then dashed ahead of Amani, heading for the water. She could get a head start if she hurried. This Beybanu was very nice, she thought. When the lioness spoke, Parvaneh stopped and looked back.
"It does more stuff?" Her brow wrinkled in thought. Slowly she asked, "If it does so much.... why don't we wear it all the time?" It seemed to her that something so useful wouldn't be taken off. Which was exactly why they were heading toward the water. Well to get it off of her.
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Posted: Sat Mar 12, 2011 2:34 pm
"Because it gets itchy and makes your beautiful fur look clumpy and unhealthy," Amani said. "Mud is a good insulator," she went on as she reached the cub. "If there are holes in your den, you can put mud in them to keep the wind from chilling everyone," she said as they reached the water.
"You can use it to draw with, too," she went on as she started to help the cub clean herself.
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Posted: Tue Mar 15, 2011 11:47 am
The cub looked down at her fur. She could see the mud clumping already, but it didn't seem to itch. The Beybanu appeared to know what she was talking about, so Parvaneh said nothing.
"Insulator..." She tried the word out with her head tilted to one side. "Maybe mama will let me help! I'll be a good insulator." She giggled.
Her attention turned to getting the mud off some of the easier spots to reach. Like her front paws. She let Amani do the rest; purring happily.
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Posted: Tue Mar 15, 2011 1:01 pm
"You would be an excellent insulator," Amani agreed with a smile. Ahhh, she wished she had cubs in her den to spoil and teach like this. Perhaps sometime, she thought. They grew up so quickly, though.
"And there," she said as she finished cleaning the little one. "Now go find a warm sunny spot to dry off in, then go home and tell your mommy about all you learned today!"
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Posted: Tue Mar 15, 2011 1:17 pm
Parvaneh looked up and grinned at the lioness. It had been fun meeting and talking with her. Next time she wanted to learn something she should come find her.
"Thank you Beybanu Amani. I had lots of fun." The cub purred and rubbed against the sturdy legs in gratitude. "I will, thanks again and buh bye!" Parvaneh scampered off, heading toward home.
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