In the dark of the night, one torch and then another was seen moving across the countryside. Soon lines of torches appeared, all converging on the central square of the city of Ubuntu. It was the time for the semi-annual Ubuntu release party and people from all over the land of Linux were making the pilgrimage.
Crowds of people gathered around the flickering bonfire burning strong in the square. A semi-circle of towering statues gleamed in the firelight. One was a skinny-legged heron, looking down on the crowd. To the right was the statue of an ibex. The next was a mythical beast -- a jackalope with buck-toothed grin on his face and antlers on his head. Next to it was a koala chewing on a eucalyptus leaf. The next was a lynx ready to pounce. The last in line was a statue covered with a large cloth looked like a ghost in the dim light, but its true form would be revealed tonight.
A slow, steady thumping of drums began as the stragglers hurried to the square. The crowd began chanting "oo-boon-too, oo-boon-too," and clapping their hands to the beat. The drums began to increase in their tempo and volume, and the chanting increased to match them. "OO-BOON-TOO! OO-BOON-TOO!" chanted the crowd louder and louder, faster and faster. Soon the chant had reached a fever pitch. Masses of moving bodies all clapping to the rhythm of the drums and chanting at the top of their lungs echoed all throughout the land of Linux.
CRASH! went the cymbals and the drums began a roll. The chanting turned into cheering as the sheet was lifted revealing the new statue. The crowd fell silent as the form of a meerkat standing on its hind legs towered above the crowd. A new chant rang out, "Maverick Meerkat! Maverick Meerkat! Maverick Meerkat!" This continued for at least an hour.
The release party went all night long. Free food and drink was supplied in abundance. By the time morning came, the crowd had dispersed, and all was silent in the city as the revelers slept off their indulgences.
