A Northern California Indian Legend
In all of the blue that surrounded the turtles, there was
no place to rest. Each turtle swam endlessly in this great blue until one day one turtle
bumped into another turtle. "In all of this blue, why do you have to bump into
me?" "YOU! You bumped into me." shouted the first turtle. The turtles began
to argue, attracting the attention of still another turtle that swam from a great distance
in the blue wanting to see what all of the noise was about. The third turtle swam too
close and bumped into the first and the second turtle. "See what I mean, all of this
blue and now we have another who had to bump into us." Soon all of the noise made by
the three turtles attracted still another turtle, and when the fourth turtle arrived, she
bumped into the first turtle and the second turtle and the third turtle, but there was
something different about this particular turtle, this turtle would not argue with the
rest, she had a better idea, a purpose for all of the turtles to achieve. "I am so
glad we met here in this great blue", she said with a kind voice. "We could have
passed each other without ever meeting. We have come together for a purpose." All of
the other turtles looked at one another. No one seemed to know what a purpose was. They
had never heard of a purpose, but they listened to her soft, soothing voice as she asked
for their help in "the purpose". "Will all of you help?" she asked.
Each one of them felt something in their head slowly move, it started with wanting to hear
more of her voice, and then it made them want to join in to help with "the
purpose". All of the turtles, agreed with a small nod of the head, they wanted to
help. "Then gather all of the other turtles together, and bring them back here so
they can hear what the purpose is. Each turtle resolved that was something that they could
do and at once set off to begin their journey to tell other turtles about "the
purpose". One turtle left to swim to the cold dark navy blue waters of the North, one
turtle left to swim to the warmth of the light turquoise blue waters of the South, one
turtle left to swim to the dark gray blue waters of the East, but the fourth turtle who
asked them to swim out to everywhere stayed right where she was in the warm aquamarine
waters of the West. As she waited for the others she began to think to herself, "Now
if all the turtles will agree with " the purpose", they will all experience
something they could never begin to have imagined and they will take part in it for a very
long time, and maybe there will never be any more arguing."
COMMENTARY:
How long will it take for the turtles to gather from all of
the four directions? And when they all do arrive, what will happen? What does the turtle
of the west have in mind to do with "the purpose" ? |
