Palm smiled at the kitten and said, “It would appear that this farm is doing well. It has endured the flood with minimal loss. I was impressed and wanted to inquire about how this came to be.”

The little boy, an orange striped tabby named, Diego, smiled with pride. “Yep.” he answered. “We lost a bunch of birds, but a lot more didn’t die. Papa said that the ones that were killed will be harvested for their meat, because it’s bad to waste food. But, did you know, all of the chicks are alive? None of them died.”

“Oh?” Palm mused. “And why’s that?”

“They are too little to be let out in the big pasture, so they stay on the highland with a bunch of the cocks.” he said, turning his bright, golden eyes toward a hilly, fenced in area where little grey ostrich chicks followed closely behind their towering black and white adult caregivers.

“Water can’t go that high.” Diego explained. “So, it’s really safe up there. Well, it’s safe until it gets dark, then we gotta bring them into their nighttime houses for them to go to bed.” he said, pointing to a series of nearby ostrich huts. “Papa says that there are lots or reptiles that eat little birds, so they need to go inside their sleeping houses so they can be safe. We bring the grownups inside, too. Lizards don’t eat them when they’re big, but Papa says that they want to be with the babies, so it’s better to bring them in, too.”

Hearing the youthful way in which the kitten spoke brought a smile to Palm’s face. It was nice to be in the presence of someone so undisturbed by the tragic events that had just passed. “I understand.” he said. “Actually, that’s what I wanted to speak to you about. Would you mind showing me the hutches?”

“Okay.” Diego replied, turning and skipping toward the hutches.

The two cats walked along the stone path leading from where they were, down to where the houses that kept the birds at night. Massive bamboo hutches specifically designed to safely contain the gigantic birds dotted the landscape. The sturdy bamboo material allowed the homes to support and sustain a dozen birds at once without collapsing. It was a marvel, especially being that the buildings were elevated on durable wooden stilts. Despite the structures not being on a flat foundation, the hutches were remarkably unmovable.

“This is intriguing.” Palm said, studying the raised structures. “What made you raise the domiciles up in this way?” he asked.

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