(Nighttime. The Jungle Cruise. Circa 2005)
"We are approaching the dangerous bend in the river where the hippopotimus raise their young. Hippos are very wary and easily startled when protecting their calves, and are at their most treacherous when the babies are very young. We must proceed cautiously"
The wily Jungle Cruise skipper then douses the lights aboard the Irriwadi Queen and putters ever so slowly into the hazardous pool beyond. The launch's motor is cut. It is pitch black. Completely silent. Not even bubbles betray the presence of any hippos. We drift through the pool so stealthily and slowly that we wonder what has happened to all the other boats that should be coming up behind.
There are none. No sound, no movement disturbs the eerie stillness of the hippo pool.
We drift through the pitch darkness of the pool for several minutes. Then we hear it ... perhaps from the far shore, perhaps from the very prow of our boat ... we can't be sure. But the sound is clear.
"Maaaama"
"Maaaaaama"
"mama?"
"mama?"
BANG!![/gunshot]
"Got him."
The satisfied pilot throttles up again, and we leave the deadly hippo pool behind.
(An excerpt from my favorite Jungle Cruise spiel ever)