Hydrus Chelon
SEOUL
Children come from all over the world to hear the tales of the wise turtle who is said to be the oldest living creature on Earth. Wai hatched on the shoreline of Hawaii and though she has never left the beach of her birth, she has tales to tell of diving in underwater caves, crawling through the thick tangle of rain forest vines, and looking down on the islands from the warm lip of a volcano. Her animal friends from every corner of the island come often to share their adventures and close encounters with natural perils, glad to add to her massive collection of stories.
She waves the latest group forward with a welcoming flipper. "Gather around, children. Have a seat on the sand there. I see we have a very diverse group today. Why don't we start with your names and where you're from?"
They are delighted to share, giving exotic locations ranging from an apartment complex in Sydney, Australia to a small village in Zimbabwe. One girl proudly announces that she is American, though she is forced to admit that this is the first State she's visited outside of Montana.
"One of the most impressive groups I've ever seen. Before I begin my tale, I'd like to introduce you to a few friends of mine. Let's start off with Dipper."
The pelican swoops down seemingly from out of the wide blue sky, using the sun to his advantage so the children will not see him until exactly the right moment. Some gasp and others clap their hands. Dipper makes a sweeping bow, his wingtips stretching as far as they will go. Kapu the butterfly fish is next on the list of introductions. He quite literally makes a splash, delighting the young ones with his water tricks. Tika the mongoose is the last one to make the acquaintance of the children. A subtle wave of her paw serves in place of a fancy display. Creatures and children all look to Wai expectantly.
*****
"Once upon a time there was a little golden gecko that grew tired of life in the trees. He longed to see more of the islands he'd heard talked about by the birds that so easily fly where they please."
"How could he leave the tree that had been his home since the day he hatched? He had no wings to fly and no fins to swim. He did not have long legs that would allow him to run quickly and avoid dangers on the ground. For many weeks, he could only sigh and dream about seeing all the wonderful sights."
Dipper's pouched beak stretches in a wide grin. "That's where I come in, kids. I land on a branch, hoping to use the tree trunk to crack this fat mollusk I'd just pulled from the water when I feel a gentle tap on my foot. I look down and here's a lizard not half the length of my wing wanting to ask me a favor."
Wai's voice takes on a high-pitched squeak. "Sir, if you would be ever so kind as to let me ride on your shoulder, I would so love to see the islands of Hawaii from the air."
Dipper points to the place where the gecko perched. "He didn't say anything at first. Any bird will tell you that the first flight is the best of your life. It takes some getting used to the air currents, but once you learn not to fight the wind, you delight in the difference between the cool breezes off a lagoon and the gentle warmth that rises from the volcano's rim.
I almost believe that little gecko would have made himself a permanent necklace if not for the sudden gust of wind. I had warned him on takeoff to never loosen his grip, but he was so caught by surprise that he did just that. I tucked my wings and dived, hoping to catch him in my bill but he was moving much faster than I ever could and I was forced to pull up as I neared the water."
Kapu waves his fins, making little ripples on the water's surface. "I saw him splash down and I was there right away to help him stay afloat. I saved his life, didn't I, Wai?"
"You most certainly did, Kapu. Not only did you save him, but you showed him all the wonders of the ocean/"
"I helped him form a little bubble helmet. Our gecko friend admired the spines of a coral reef, danced with a school of fish, and darted around a wooden tiki idol half-lost to seaweed. I warned of the dangers of swimming in deeper waters where the sharks have their frenzied feasts. I whispered tales of the deepest caves where eels lurk, waiting to zap any creature that looks like a tasty morsel. I even tickled the chin of an oyster so that he might have a look at the perfect pearl growing in her mouth. When my new friend had his fill of the sea, I saw him safely back to land." Kapu nodded to Wai to continue.
"The gecko had seen marvelous waterfalls and jungles from the air and had been introduced to the wonders of the sea but he still longed to have a close-up look at the land."
"It was at that time that I met the gecko. He was very polite, bringing me a delightful clump of sea grass that Kapu had helped him to harvest. As the humans lit their tiki torches in the distance, I told him of mighty gods and legendary heroes whose names are famous on our islands. I took him to the grassy hollow which lets out on a view of the human structure where beautiful girls don their grass skirts and dance the traditional dances that honor the goddess of the volcano.
He left me in the morning, eager to see more of the human parts of the island. He saw markets full of fresh-picked pineapples, bananas and coconuts. He heard the melody of the ukulele and heard the beautiful voices of a traveling choir. He did not know it at the time, but the pattern of his scales would inspire a whole line of vases by the hand of a local artist looking for a new muse.
He could see the great volcano in the distance. He so wanted to end his day of great adventure with a token to show all the other geckos that he had seen and done many marvelous things. He would take a small volcanic rock from the lip of the great volcano, but first he had to cross the busy road. Humans walked there in thick crowds, their giant feet a danger the little gecko had good reason to fear. Only think if a giant were to walk across the playground at your school!
Tika twitched her whiskers. "I could see his problem and there's none like a mongoose that knows how to sneak. His sticky little fingers clung to my fur as we darted our way between sandaled feet and sent a fat man's ice cream cone splattering the road. We made it to the far side. I told him the path he wanted and left him to go in search of a nice termite nest."
Wai nodded. "The gecko enjoyed the cool shade of the ferns though they were much different his home tree. Soon the ground gave way to rich, dark soil. The gecko climbed and climbed. It seemed he would never find the volcano's top. The sun was starting to set and he feared being caught in the open with the owls waking for the night.
"The fire ant had never seen a creature with such bright skin. She was a little hard to understand around such massive pinchers, but when the gecko described his desire for a rock from the volcano's rim, she was very happy to help. The stone was perfectly round and smooth, pushed down the side of the volcano by strong ant legs. She could not help him look for a place to hide, however. She had her own colony to think about and it was starting to get dark."
Dipper's grin returned. "Never fear, children. I had been searching high and low for that gecko and I would not rest until I'd seen him safely home. I fly that way from time to time, to greet our friend. He still has his volcano rock sitting in the center of his nest."
Wai waves a flipper at the children. "I hope that you will all have the adventurous spirit of the gecko in your explorations of the many wonders Hawaii has to offer. I would ask that for the sake of my many animal friends, you watch where you place your feet and do not leave litter where it may bring any of them to harm."
The children leave reluctantly as their parents come to collect them at the end of the hour. Wai poses patiently for photos and admires every cheap plastic toy waved under her nose. When the very last child leaves, she slides her way over to the palm frond tent that has been prepared for her comfort. She will not make it back to her cave until the end of the day but she does not mind. For the sake of those humans that once aided her when quicksand would have pulled her under, she is very happy to share her store of knowledge with the little ones that have the greatest chance of preserving the beauty of our world.
