You know what? Hippos are weird looking. We're used to them, but yikes! Those gaping maws, those tusks (I'll be the world's first hippo orthodontist), and everything else. I used to read that hippos had pink sweat because there was blood in their perspiration, but have since found out that this is a lie. Their sweat is pink because they are full of sweet frosting.
Hmm, this particular hippo doesn't look particularly real, particularly. Maybe we're seeing it at a weird angle. Or maybe this is his 'bad' photographic side. His skin looks like gray potter's clay. Sorry, hippo, I shouldn't be so critical of you... nice ears!
ReplyDeleteOK, this hippo is getting a little too close! Quick, toss him some Purina Hippo Chow! Or we could just have the Skipper shoot him a few times. Yeah, that'll teach 'im! Is that papyrus in the background?
Well, they're not Sunday Snoozles, but hippos are fairly common in these parts. People are always chasing them out of their backyard swimming pools. Thanks, Major.
Major-
ReplyDelete"Their sweat is pink because they are full of sweet frosting".
Actually Major, their 'pink' sweat is the result of their daily intake of pink lemonade-!
Thanks, Major.
Their pink sweat is a subtle indication of their politics. I’m surprised that a staunch anti-communist like Walt allowed them in his Park. Although, on reflection, he did have his employees shoot at them…
ReplyDeleteHippos are definitely an unexpected style of animal. The name derives from the Greek words for “River Horse” and they are believed to be the “Behemoth” referred to in the Book of Job, but who really knows?
ReplyDeleteThe pink sweat is part and parcel of their overall weirdness. That, and the wiggling ears, which is a real trait, not just dreamed up by imagineers. And yes, that is a papyrus plant, used by the ancient Egyptians to make comic books. Hippos thrived in the River Nile and were hunted by Pharaohs on a catch-and-release basis. We believe this to be factual since no recipes for hippos have been recovered by archaeologists.
Thank you for listening to my hippo talk, and thanks Major for the post.
JG
JB, when you think about it, real hippos look like they are made out of clay too. I have noticed that the Disneyland hippos sometimes seem to have some texture to their skin, I always think of hippos as being relatively smooth. (Shrug). Hippos like Purina chow, but they really like filet o’ fish sammiches with extra tarter sauce. That will calm them down like nothing else, in fact they will be your friend.
ReplyDeleteNanook, where do hippos get pitchers for mixing their pink lemonade??
Chuck, when you think about it, hippos do live in communes, and they have parades celebrating the proletariat. It was right in front of us all along!
JG, I never understood how the ancient Greeks looked at hippos and thought that there was anything horselike about them. I guess being a quadruped was enough. Gee, I’ve kind of forgotten the Book of Job, I keep rereading “The DaVinci Code” - greatest book ever. Somebody must have eaten a hippo, what a feast that would be. Once you have deep-fried hippo it’s all you will want!
Major, I have always assumed that the Greek word was applied by someone who had never seen a hippo in real life and was working from a second-hand description... "big animal, lives in the water... .. horses are big, rivers are made of water, why not River Horse?" I should check Herodotus, since he was Greek and did travel personally in Egypt, where hippos were rampant in that era.
ReplyDeleteJG
JG, you should ALWAYS check Herodotus before leaving a comment on GDB!!
ReplyDeleteJG, By the way, your theory about Greeks not seeing hippos is a good one
ReplyDeleteI've heard otters referred to as "water puppies" so hippos as river horses checks out.
ReplyDeleteAs I type AI is thinking about your sweet frosting comment Major! Perhaps it's true???
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