Ying and Lan Lan were not expecting to meet dholes so soonafter they got to the desert.Dholes, a kind of wild dog, were the creatures the herders mostfeared. They were especially adept at disemboweling cattle andwould even do the same sometimes on camels. That was quite a feat,because the dhole had to jump high enough to sink its teeth into thecamels'' gut. If it didn'' t succeed, the camel would raise one back legand like Ronaldo taking a penalty kick, hurl the dhole high into the air.Don''t go worrying yourself about dholes as they have a nativeskill at springing vertically into the air, just like you''re good atnodding off when you read a novel. These intelligent dholes arequicker off the mark than any footballer. Of course if the camel isnimble enough, it can try out its kicks on dholes who are old or sick.One thing is certain: The dhole is no footballer itself.If you want to know why the dholes are so feared, you can goand interview an animal they''ve disembowelled. But you won''tfind any. There are no disembowelled animals left alive to tell thetale. They''ve all been long since consigned to the underworld. Soto the underworld you must go, if you want that interview. But, asour respected forebears said, animals never stay there longer than49 days. Afterwards, dumb animals that they are, they''ll find a newhome. Even if they are eager to be interviewed by you, their bodiesare not under their control. Animals lack mindfulness. Their karmawill allocate them some appropriate, new destination, despitethemselves.Dholes are small animals, no bigger than raccoons. Of course,this is a meaningless comparison for most people nowadays, whowon''t have seen a raccoon. So let''s say that dholes are the sizeof a small fox. You''ll know, of course, that foxes are smaller thanelephants, but just how much smaller you''d probably be hard put tosay. So here''s my last shot: If your wife is a slender woman, a dholeis no bigger than her calf muscles.Get it?
