Summary

As Ruby walked with her herd through the savanna, she would grab her mother’s tail. Her mother, Bishara, was wonderful, and she always fed her milk and shaded her with her body. Ruby had one older brother, Reth, who was four years older and very rambunctious. She spent more time hanging out with Gichinga, a cattle egret. Cattle regrets live on top of elephants’ backs so that they can eat the bugs that are kicked up by the elephants’ legs as they walk. In return, the birds call out whenever they see a predator on the horizon. This gives the elephants lots of warning and time to protect their calves.

At first, Ruby was shocked when Gichinga landed on her back. However, she noticed that her relatives all had white birds on their backs, so she let him stay. He asked her...