The creature lumbered into position across the street and beside the two giants, sons of beeches, rooted in place unable to fight or flee. Part giraffe, part elephant, part croc, and part hippo—a chimera—with as many legs.

The giraffe lowered the croc and its limb-snapping jaws deep into the first crown. One-by-one it severed limb from trunk. The smaller crocs thrashed on the ground stripping the fallen limbs bare for the elephant with its elephant brain to sort into piles of fuel or fodder.

Sometimes the elephant charged forward—getting there first, lifting up the full leafy branch, adjusting its aim with its long black tusks then plunging it deep into the hippo’s gullet. The hungry hungry hippo would not be satisfied. As soon as the first giant was reduced to open sky the creature moved on to the next.

“Mighty oaks from little acorns grow.” What was once measured by height is now measured by length.