The Crocodiles were the most devious clique that had ever occupied the halls of Animal Academy. The manner in which they walked was intimidating in itself, but their malicious personalities were even worse. The male crocs tended to react with violent physical outbursts, whereas the females preferred rumors and sneakiness when harming other animals. Either way, ending up on The Crocodiles’ hit list was a catastrophic mistake.

Most species knew not to cross paths with The Crocodiles. It was considered animal nature; the way of the world. However, the crocs met their match when a new student came to town one day last fall.

That opponent was named Bayard. From the moment he flew through the doors on the first day, his mighty presence became well-known among the other animals. He was an eagle far better than most others, but never thought of himself in a superior way. Bayard was strong and intelligent with powerful wings on his back.
Within hours, he had the whole student body on his side. Nobody was paying any attention to the most popular animal group, the crocodiles. They had lost their control over the animal kingdom. The green power-hungry beasts were dissatisfied to say the least.

As soon as the shift in leadership became unmistakable, the crocs called for an emergency meeting. The leader, a crocodile female named Ravana, was seething in anger. The eerie basement classroom where the crocodiles met was in turmoil. Ravana was drawing on a chalkboard and brainstorming various ways to get Bayard off of their turf.

Suddenly, a crow named Mukesh soared to the desk where Ravana was pondering the next move that The Crocodiles could make. This particular crow possessed the ability to eavesdrop anywhere and go unnoticed because of his small size and excellent hearing. Mukesh normally spread lies and deception like it was his middle name, but he was never dishonest with the crocs. He served as their most loyal informant and in return he could be a part of their exclusive group.

Even though Mukesh knew of the heinous crimes that The Crocodiles committed, he still wanted to be with the in crowd; he wanted to feel powerful. That is why Mukesh spent his days starting rumors and destroying the lives of others. The crow would do anything to stay with the dominant crowd.

Mukesh told Ravana that the eagle and his new friends were planning to petition against the forming of cliques and the exclusion of animals that are different. The crocs lived to point out that they were greater than all, and without that they did not have any reason to come to Animal Academy. Ravana realized that they would have to defend their title as most popular.

Just as the crocs were preparing for a brawl outside on the football field, a soft tap on the door disrupted their thoughts. It was Bayard the eagle and a sheep named Meditrina. The two animals were holding hands.

Ravana crawled her way through the crowd and looked straight at Bayard. “You are the reason why we crocodiles are no longer the most powerful animals in this school. You have ruined our lives and everything we have worked for!” At that, Ravana lunged for Meditrina.

Bayard grabbed at the sheep’s fur and snatched her into the air before Ravana could bite the innocent animal. While flying up above, Bayard made his famous speech. He spoke of the importance of equality among your peers and the damage that hurtful words can cause. He brought up the fact that every different animal is special and deserves to be treated fairly. A friend is a better ally than an enemy.

As Bayard talked, The Crocodiles listened for once in their lives. Although the process of repairing the animal kingdom at the academy would be a challenging road ahead, the animals knew they could survive. There were no more cliques. No more powerful groups. They all realized that school was just a milestone in their long journey of growth ahead.