Animals, Part 1: Turtles! and Penguins?

Last spring, I borrowed a book about animals from the school library and kept it for several weeks. During those weeks, I flipped through it many many times with assorted women and children. I learned many many Pulaar animal names. I also forgot many many Pulaar animal names. This is okay, because I was rarely certain that the animal name I was being told actually matched the animal picture I was pointing to.

However, I think I finally learned the real name for “turtle.” I’d always kind of doubted Cherno's ability to identify that plastic, turtle-shaped squeaker toy as a turtle, so although I wrote down "turtle = sowray," I avoided conversations about turtles. Fortunately, the animal book contained a photo of turtle, and thus, another opportunity to ask its name.

I pointed out the photo to the children who had gathered around. They immediately identified it as a hippopotamus. Fortunately again, Fatou Sowe was passing by and came to look at the "hippopotamus." She told us it is not a hippo, but an ambre. I trust Fatou Sowe's response because she is an adult and because she also said, "It lives next to lakes and rivers. It does this" and withdrew her head into an imaginary shell.

Then again, maybe I shouldn't trust Fatou just because she is an adult and told me true turtle facts. Sinni is also an adult and agreed to true penguin facts, but I would be incredibly surprised if there were a Pulaar word for penguin, even though she told me one. I'd shown her a picture of a penguin and she'd expressed recognition and told me the name. I was surprised and told her it is a bird that cannot go to the sky. She agreed and repeated the name.

I know there are penguins in Africa, so when I returned home that afternoon I flipped back to the penguin photo and read the caption: “Scientists have found remains of jackass penguins, from South Africa with bite marks from great whites.” So the penguin picture she saw was actually of a penguin species found in Africa. Still...I don't think even the most adventursome Fulas wandered all the way down to South Africa...