Strange Creatures of Dr. Korbo by Gilbert L. Morris

white and not at all strong. “I wish I had some tartar sauce,” he said. “That always was good with fish.” Then he glanced over at Dave. “You know, Dave, sometimes the slowest way is the fastest way.”
    â€œI don’t know what that means. I just know we need to get out of these woods.”
    â€œBut we’ve got all these babies to take care of. If we try to go too fast, it’ll be hard on them.”
    â€œWe’ve got to make better time than we’ve been making. That’s all there is to it, Josh. Surely you can see that.”
    Nothing Josh said seemed to make any impression on him.
    Just before dark, Josh and Gus were milking the goats. Gus was stroking a nanny’s head, while Josh milked steadily.
    â€œYou sure have turned into a good milker,” Gus said. “Never any good at that myself.”
    â€œI thought you were good at everything, Gus.”
    â€œWell, I’m better at some things than other things.”
    â€œWhat do you figure you’re best at?” Josh asked him. He expected some outlandish boast. He knew that Gus, along with always predicting disaster, held the opinion that he was quite a man.
    But to his surprise, Gus said, “I suppose I’m best at writing poetry. That’s why the fellows ran me out of the village.”
    â€œI thought it was because all the young ladies preferred you.”
    â€œThat’s part of the reason they preferred me,” Gus said, stroking the rough coat of the goat. Then he shoved back his floppy hat, and his lean, cavernous features brightened with pleasure. He grinned broadly. “The girls liked me so much not just because I’m such a handsome fellow but because I wrote them nice little love poems.”
    â€œLet me hear one of them,” Josh said.
    Immediately Gus began to spout poetry:
    Â 
    â€œYour lips are prettier than palm leaves,
    And your eyes are like two pools of buttermilk.
    You have a neck like a swan,
    Legs like trees
    Teeth like mussel shells.
    Oh, how beautiful you are!”
    Â 
    It all sounded rather sappy to Josh, but he did not say so. “Well, I can see that the ladies would really like you, Gus. All those good looks and a poet too.”
    â€œThat’s true,” Gus said sadly. “Sometimes I wish I wasn’t so gifted.” They continued milking, and after a while he commented, “It’s a good thing we found another shelter. Dark’s coming on, and I don’t want to tangle with those bats. Those blasted alligators were bad enough.”
    Josh thought about the night dangers all the way back to camp. When they rejoined the others, he said, “I think we’d better have guards, Dave.”
    â€œAh, nothing’s going to happen,” Dave said. “What could happen? Let’s get a good night’s sleep. We’re all tired.”
    Sarah seemed to know that Josh had no intention of sleeping.
    â€œI’ll stay up, and we’ll watch together,” she said. “Then you can ask Reb or Wash to take a watch.”
    â€œThat’s a good idea.”
    When the others had rolled up in their blankets, Josh and Sarah stood watching. The stars were bright overhead. They glittered like diamonds.
    Josh said, “There’s the Big Dipper.”
    â€œIt hasn’t changed.”
    â€œNope,” Josh said. “Everything on earth has changed, but the stars are still up there.”
    â€œI’ve almost forgotten the constellations,” Sarah said. “Do you remember any of them except the Big Dipper?”
    â€œWell, there’s Cassiopeia.”
    â€œOh, yes! That’s the one that looks just like a badly drawn W,” Sarah said. “And there’s Orion.”
    â€œYep. Look at his belt. Those three stars in the middle.”
    â€œI always liked Orion.”
    For a long time they stood talking softly—first about the stars and then about life back in Oldworld. The