In the past five years, over 200 hippopotamuses were killed by poachers. It is easy to assume that this activity has emerged recently, what with the numerous other wildlife species that have gone extinct recently due to excessive hunting. However, this has been an ongoing practice for centuries. It is featured in The Laughing Hippopotamus by L. Frank Baum, which takes place in prehistoric Africa and features a man attempting to capture hippos. That aspect of the story is undeniably grounded in reality, but not everything about it is. There are multiple elements of legends and myths that are portrayed, which include animals with human characteristics, communication between animals and humans, and the use of magic. Firstly, The Laughing Hippopotamus features animals that have human traits and behaviours. This practice, also known as anthropomorphism, has been used in myths and legends for centuries, and essentially …show more content…
In The Laughing Hippopotamus, the first example of the hippopotamuses have the ability to speak easily with the humans and be understood. Since hippopotamuses are incapable of expressing themselves through words, all of the encounters between them and the people they speak to would not be possible in reality. However, in many well-known myths, humans and animals are able to communicate perfectly. Therefore, this is seen when Keo, the hippopotamus, bargains with Gouie, the human, multiple times throughout the story. For example, they agree that Keo can go free from Gouie’s captivity if he agrees to return within a year and a day (3). Another instance where this occurs is when, at the end of the story, Keo reverses the previous situation and forces Gouie to eventually become his captive. Gouie understands the request and agrees (7). In brief, humans’ ability to understand animals and vice versa is an element of myths and