Lab Notes: Capy and Bara's Christmas

The lab's observer spent three weeks writing down everything Bara did (week 1, week 2, week 3), and last time left drawing instead of writing. In December the observer was sent back to the house with the front step, to observe "festive behavior." Nobody explained what that is. These are the notes.

December 18

Subject B-02 announces: "It's Christmas." The observer checks the protocol. There is no box for Christmas. The subject says a house at Christmas needs a tree. The house has no tree. Subject B-02 runs three laps of the yard looking for one. Then she stops in front of Specimen 01, Pincho, who is on Subject Capy's head, as always. She looks at him for a long time. The observer writes: "Subject appears to be measuring something."

December 19

Subject B-02 has put a string of lights on Pincho and, on top, a red paper star. Pincho is small and the lights are many: she wrapped him twice, then three times. The little red apples on his branch became the ornaments; the subject counted them, five, and said they came out perfect. Subject Capy did not move during the entire operation, so as not to knock over the tree. The observer notes that Pincho has a small smile under the lights. The observer does not know whether he had it before.

December 20

Subject B-02 has decided that everything important at Christmas gets wrapped. She wrapped the gate. She wrapped the mailbox. She wrapped the front step, with a bow. Then she looked at Subject Capy, the roll of paper still in her paw. Subject Capy held still and let herself be wrapped, all but her head, because the tree was up there. Purpose: unknown. The observer notes that the paper suited her.

December 21

Problem of the day: Subject B-02 has no gift for Subject Capy. She searched the entire house. She found paper, a pencil and an empty box. She made a card. She wrote it, erased it, wrote it again. Erased it again. In the end she wrote nothing: she drew a front step with two capybaras and a cactus in lights. The observer has seen this drawing before. The subject says it's the only one she can draw well.

December 22

Subject Capy gave Subject B-02 a gift. A small box, unwrapped, because all the paper had gone on the gate. Inside was a paper tag, like the one Subject Capy wears on her ear, with a number written by hand: 02. Subject B-02 hung it on her ear, next to the one from the lab. She now wears two. The observer asked which one is the prize. The subject pointed at the paper one without thinking.

December 24

Christmas Eve. All three subjects are on the step: Subject Capy, Subject B-02 and Pincho, lit up. Nothing else happens all night. Subject B-02 did not fix anything. There was nothing to fix. At midnight, Subject B-02 gave Subject Capy the card. Subject Capy looked at it for a long time and then stuck it on the wall, next to the calendar with no dates.

December 25

The report's conclusion: the subjects' festive behavior consists of wrapping things, trading tags and sitting together. No real tree was found. The tree worked anyway. Before leaving, the observer left a small unmarked package on the step. Inside was a drawing of three subjects on a step, in lights. This time, the observer signed it.

End of the notes

A small tree, a friendship too big for the house. A friendship like a cactus: it doesn't need watering every day.

If you haven't read how it all began, here is their story, Nothing to Fix. And if you're wrapping gifts this year, Capy, Bara and Pincho are on eight free printable Christmas gift tags.