nature animals · Ages 6-8

Why Does a Meerkat Take the Watchtower Job?

One meerkat stands guard while others search for food, calling warnings if it spots danger nearby.

The whole story

1. At sunrise, a young meerkat with a blue scarf found a smooth twig beside the burrow. “I will find the best job today,” he said.

2. The meerkats were choosing jobs. One would dig. One would sniff out beetles. One would carry tasty roots home.

3. “I can dig,” said the young meerkat. He pushed the twig into the sand, but it slipped between his toes.

4. “I can sniff,” he tried. He sniffed a beetle, a pebble, and his own scarf. The beetle was the only one who seemed impressed.

5. Then the young meerkat noticed the tall rock. From its top, the desert spread out in every direction. “What job happens up there?” he asked.

6. “That is the watchtower,” said the larger meerkat. “A meerkat stands there while the others search for food.”

7. The young meerkat listened. He heard the scratch of digging, the tap of pebbles, and the tiny crunch of a root.

8. A wide shadow slid across the sand. The young meerkat lifted his twig and called, “Hawk nearby!”

9. The searchers hurried home. Soon the shadow passed, and the desert was quiet again.

10. The meerkats came out again. The young meerkat stayed high while they searched for food.

11. When the basket was full, the larger meerkat carried a root to the tower. “You helped us bring this home,” she said.

12. Now the young meerkat knew his job. One meerkat stands guard while the others search for food, calling warnings if it spots danger nearby.

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