Ying and Lan Lan were not expecting to meet dholes so soon

after they got to the desert.

Dholes, a kind of wild dog, were the creatures the herders most

feared. They were especially adept at disemboweling cattle and

would 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 the

camels' gut. If it didn' t succeed, the camel would raise one back leg

and like Ronaldo taking a penalty kick, hurl the dhole high into the air.

Don't go worrying yourself about dholes as they have a native

skill at springing vertically into the air, just like you're good at

nodding off when you read a novel. These intelligent dholes are

quicker off the mark than any footballer. Of course if the camel is

nimble 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 go

and interview an animal they've disembowelled. But you won't

find any. There are no disembowelled animals left alive to tell the

tale. They've all been long since consigned to the underworld. So

to the underworld you must go, if you want that interview. But, as

our respected forebears said, animals never stay there longer than

49 days. Afterwards, dumb animals that they are, they'll find a new

home. Even if they are eager to be interviewed by you, their bodies

are not under their control. Animals lack mindfulness. Their karma

will allocate them some appropriate, new destination, despite

themselves.

Dholes are small animals, no bigger than raccoons. Of course,

this is a meaningless comparison for most people nowadays, who

won't have seen a raccoon. So let's say that dholes are the size

of a small fox. You'll know, of course, that foxes are smaller than

elephants, but just how much smaller you'd probably be hard put to

say. So here's my last shot: If your wife is a slender woman, a dhole

is no bigger than her calf muscles.

Get it?