4. The Animal Kingdom
All the challenges in this group relate to animals, asking you to tell stories about your pets, animals in the wild, and animals in your wildest imagination.
Think about all the domesticated animals you’ve met, whether they were gerbils, bunnies, turtles, goldfish, cats, dogs, or ponies. Think of all the wild animals you’ve seen in nature or on TV, such as lions and cheetahs and buffalo and crocodiles. Remember all the wonderful characters you’ve gotten to know through books and film; for example, the Velveteen Rabbit, Lassie, Bambi, Dumbo the elephant, and Chewbacca from Star Wars.
Now get started writing!
90. Good Friends
Suggested time: 10–15 minutes
What creature have you made friends with that you initially didn’t think you’d ever get along with? Write about your adventures with this animal, telling how you met and how you got to know each other.
91. Favorite Animal
Suggested time: 10–15 minutes
Write about your favorite animal, telling why you like this creature, what its good points are, times you’ve encountered it, and how you would like to make sure the animal is protected.
92. Creepy Crawly
Suggested time: 30–55 minutes
Are you afraid of spiders or snakes? Write about an invertebrate or vertebrate animal that you find creepy. To put yourself in the right frame of mind, first imagine you are in a locked room, face to face with this creature. List all the disgusting or frightening characteristics of the animal, and tell how you will avoid coming into contact with it.
93. Dogs or Cats?
Suggested time: 10–15 minutes
Some say that dogs drool, while cats are cool. Others say cats suck, but dogs rock. Another funny saying is that dogs have owners, but cats have staff. Do you consider yourself a dog person, a cat person, or both? Explain why.
You think those dogs will not be in heaven! I tell you they will be there long before any of us. – Robert Louis Stevenson
94. Birds
Suggested time: 10–15 minutes
Are you a member of the National Audubon Society? A birder who could easily spot a Crested Caracara if you saw one? Or are you someone who doesn’t know a crow from a raven? Write about your knowledge of birds and any experiences you have had spotting birds.
Did you know?
When you hear someone talking about a murder of crows, no harm has been done—they are simply pointing out several crows. Likewise, the collective noun for geese is gaggle, for goldfinches is charm, for owls is parliament, for pigeons is kit, and for ravens is unkindness.1
95. Creature’s Point of View
Suggested time: 45–120 minutes
Write a story from the point of view of an animal. Make sure you are in the animal’s head. All the observations and thoughts in your story will be a reflection of the animal’s perceptions.
The greatness of a nation and its moral progress can be judged by the way its animals are treated. – Mahatma Gandhi
96. Childhood Pets
Suggested time: 45–75 minutes
Make a list of each and every pet you had as a child. Include the type of pet, the name, and how old the pet was when it died. Are there several of one type of pet on your list, such as goldfish or turtles or bunnies? What was the most unusual pet? Which one was your favorite?
Write a story that includes three of your pets as characters.
97. Bad Behavior
Suggested time: 10–15 minutes
Have you ever returned home only to find that your dog has strewn garbage all over the house, eaten the dinner preparations you left on the kitchen counter, or demolished a corner of an expensive Persian rug? Have you had a cat that clawed through the upholstery of your couch or shredded the draperies? Have you had a pet that TP’d your house, shredding an entire roll of toilet paper while rolling and chasing it?
Write about this bad behavior.
Outside of a dog, a book is man’s best friend. Inside of a dog it’s too dark to read. – Groucho Marx
98. Sea Creatures
Suggested time: 10–15 minutes
Write about an animal you like that lives in or near the sea. Describe the creature’s typical habitat and locale, and provide information about what it eats, how it lives, and what it likes to do in its spare time.
99. Animal Sounds
Suggested time: 60–90 minutes
Sound director Ben Burtt created the vocalizations of the Star Wars character Chewbacca by mixing recordings of walruses, lions, camels, bears, rabbits, tigers, and badgers. The next time you see a Star Wars film, listen for the camel.
For this challenge, first imagine a fictional character that you want to develop.
Take a field trip into nature or visit your local zoo. Record several animal utterances, such as birds singing, crickets chirping, cats yowling, and dogs baying.
Finally, begin to develop your character. Decide whether any of the sounds you’ve recorded—or a mix of them—fit for your character’s voice.
I ask people why they have deer heads on their walls. They always say, “Because it’s such a beautiful animal.” There you go. I think my mother is attractive, but I have photographs of her. – Ellen DeGeneres
100. The Big Five
Suggested time: 10–15 minutes
When you go on safari in the Serengeti, you hope to see the big five: lion, leopard, rhinoceros, buffalo, and elephant. What animals would you like to see in the wild? Describe animals you’ve already encountered, or talk about animals you haven’t yet seen but that are high on your list.
Did you know?
The cheetah is the world’s fastest animal, with speed that can put most automobiles to shame: 0 to 60 in 3 seconds.2
101. No Animals Were Harmed
Suggested time: 1–3 hours
The animal rights organization People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) focuses on preventing animal cruelty and suffering, especially on factory farms, in the clothing trade, in laboratories, and in the entertainment industry.
What are your feelings and beliefs about how animals should be treated? Is it OK to eat fish and fowl? Do you wear leather jackets and shoes without feeling guilty? Would you wear a bunny fur? Do you hunt?
Write an argumentative blog post that clearly states your stance on any aspect of the treatment of animals, backing up your argument with specific examples.
Did you know?
In Victorian times, it became fashionable to wear hats trimmed with dead bird parts, sometimes with the entire taxidermic mount of the bird perched on a woman’s head. Kathryn Lasky portrays this terrible fashion statement in her children’s book She’s Wearing a Dead Bird on Her Head.3
102. Ugliest Animal
Suggested time: 10–15 minutes
Write about a pet or an animal in the wild that is UGLY. Tell whether it has any redeeming qualities.
Until one has loved an animal, a part of one’s soul remains unawakened. – Anatole France
103. Mythical Beast
Suggested time: 30–60 minutes
Write a tall tale about a mythical creature.
If you’ve read stories about Paul Bunyon, you’re familiar with the format for a tall tale. The tall tale is typically a simple story that begins with everyday events but quickly slides into incredible exaggerations that are told as if the story were true. For some good examples of tall tales, see AmericanFolklore.net at http://americanfolklore.net/folklore/tall-tales/.