Izzard the Lizard

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In fact that is exactly what she did say when Mick and Freddie wanted to bring their lizards into the lounge room.

Another night passed peacefully, as the boys were too worn out to talk. The Cub Leaders were even more worn out! Izzard and Gussie were thinking how nice it was to be together.

The next day, Freddie’s Mum screamed, “You are not bringing those nasty animals in here!” Freddie hastily pointed out that they were ‘reptiles’ and not ‘animals’, then quickly ducked as a dirty sneaker was thrown at him.

“Well, at least get them off the dining room table,” she pleaded. “Why don’t you put them in the old aquarium in the backyard? They should be quite happy in there.”

“Happy indeed!” snorted Izzard. “I have been moved around so many times that I am beginning to feel like a chess piece!” Gussie laughed and decided that she liked Izzard quite a lot.

Their new home turned out to be very suitable. Freddie had borrowed some books from the library on how to look after lizards and had set up the aquarium to look much like their old home. Dried leaves were piled up in each corner for them to hide under and flies, earwigs and small spiders were dropped in every day for them to eat.

They were quite happy for a few days, and then Izzard noticed that Gussie did not seem to be her usual self. Tired and listless, she moved very slowly from leaf to leaf. Her skin was looking dull and she had no energy to eat her food.

All at once Izzard realized what was happening. Gussie had not been eating her share of the food and he had not noticed. Because he was bigger and stronger than she, he had been snapping up all the food as it had been dropped in.

Grandfather had told him it was the ‘Survival of the Fittest’, but Izzard had never known how much that phrase could hurt. Without realizing it, his greed had cost the life of someone who was very dear to him.

Gussie’s body lay still and lifeless and he knew she had not survived. She had become so cold that she could never warm up. Izzard found some leaves and laid them over her thin frame, too sad to even look at her.

Freddie’s Mum came out of the laundry door and dropped a recently squashed fly in the aquarium. “I can’t even look at it!” he thought in disgust.

“Oh, no!” Mother cried, “Freddie will be upset, he hates it when any of his pets die.” Gently removing the stiff, small body from her home amongst the leaves, she buried it in the long grass next to the brick wall.