Chapter 31

Pi arranges to meet Mr. Kumar the Sufi at the zoo, but he is afraid he will not recognize him because Mr. Kumar is physically indistinct. He rubs his eyes as an excuse for not seeing Mr. Kumar approach. When he hears Mr. Kumar’s voice he greets the Sufi with the traditional Muslim phrase, “Salaam alaykum.” As they leisurely walk through the zoo, Mr. Kumar marvels at every creature, but especially the zebras. Just then, the other Mr. Kumar approaches. Pi gives pieces of carrot to each Mr. Kumar to feed to the zebras. The three enjoy the experience. Mr. Kumar remarks, “Equus burchelli boehmi.” The other Mr. Kumar remarks, “Allahu akbar.” Pi simply says, “It’s very pretty.” Also Mr. Kumar, the teacher, remarked about the royalty of the zebra and shared with the other two its Latin name.