The Floods of Knith

By Philip Ramsey and Kate Northover

A jungle-based fable with animal characters, incorporating principles of systems thinking. Billibonk, the elephant, and Frankl, the mouse, try to find out why the river is flooding. They discover that conflict between herons and hippos is upsetting the way a lagoon works. Billibonk and Frankl have to find

• Language: English
• Publisher: System Dynamics Society
• Release date: Jun 19, 2023
• ISBN: 9781935056263

Philip Ramsey

Dr. Phil Ramsey is a Senior Lecturer at Massey University in New Zealand, where he teaches Organizational Learning, Leadership and Teamwork. He also works as a Director of Incite Learning, a consulting company that mainly works with schools, helping school leaders apply Organizational Learning concepts to solve tough problems.

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Part 1

1

Rain

Frankl the mouse loved his home, the forest of Knith. This was his favorite time of year. The early rains of the wet season were gratefully received, just as they are in forests everywhere. At first, the rain seemed to turn to steam as it hit the hot, baked earth. The dry smell of dust gave way to fresh aromas.

The jungle took on new colors too. Trees and bushes turned deeper shades of green and grasses sprang to life. Seeds lying dormant underground felt the moisture they had been waiting for and pushed sprouts up through the ground. Flowers burst out all over the jungle.

The animals of Knith also welcomed the rain. Insects buzzed, delighting in the banquet of new flowers. Small animals danced about. For young creatures, the rain was different and exciting. Frankl, an older mouse, especially enjoyed the rain because he was fascinated by how the jungle worked. The way the rain refreshed his home was miraculous.

The rain held another pleasure for Frankl: it brought the chance to spend time with an old friend, Billibonk, the elephant. Not many animals made friends with someone from a different species, but Billibonk and Frankl had found from previous adventures that they had a lot in common. While they were very different, their differences allowed them to learn much, both about others in the jungle and, surprisingly, about themselves.

During dry spells, large animals, such as elephants, range farther and farther from home looking for food and water. With the return of the rain, these animals were moving back to their homelands.

Soon after his breakfast one morning, Frankl climbed to the top of the thorn patch hoping to catch sight of the elephants. He settled into a favorite perch that was sheltered from the rain by overhanging branches and gave an impressive view out over the nearby river. The day had dawned fine, but dark clouds had begun to roll in. Soon the rain—and the elephants—would come.

Gradually, Frankl noticed something strange about the river. The water was very high, close to overflowing the riverbanks. Frankl’s tiny brow furrowed as he pondered why the river was so high, so early in the wet season. There has been plenty of rain, I suppose, he thought to himself. And yet, I don’t think there has been that much. Why is the water so high?

His thinking was interrupted by a quick movement in the thorns just below his perch. Looking down, he saw Yolanda, another mouse resident of the thorns. Hey, Yolanda, he called. Come and look at this.

Yolanda was a very different mouse compared to Frankl. Always busy, she constantly looked for new things to do and always wanted to know what others were up to. Already that morning she had toured the thorn patch to see what was happening. She clambered up to where Frankl was sitting, to find out what had him excited.

What do you think of that? Frankl asked Yolanda, pointing toward the river.

Yolanda gave a startled yelp as she saw water lapping over the riverbank. Stinkberries! she shrieked. Yolanda had a habit of using expressions like this to liven up her conversations—stinkberries are a common jungle fruit, known for their terrible smell. How long has the river been like that?

Oh, I’m not sure, said Frankl. It’s unusual, isn’t it?

Unusual?! Yolanda answered, in a tone that always made Frankl slightly nervous. We have to get everyone out of the thorn patch. If it gets any higher the water will be flowing right through here! How long have you been sitting here watching it?

Not long, really. I was trying to work out why—

We don’t have time for this Yolanda snapped, turning away from Frankl. Are you going to help warn the others, or are you just going to sit there?

Frankl’s face reddened as he jumped down from his perch and followed Yolanda through the thorns.

2

The Crossing