Wandering Tortoise found himself deep into a part of the forest he had never been to before.
It’s scent thick with
Moss and ferns, large trunks of Cedar Giants by any measure he had seen seemed to be grown with bushes of Ivy’s at their base.
Thick branches with their cones ready to drop with seed.
It was a place where it was difficult to determine the time of day,
As the heavy branches filtered the light and the fauna seemed soaked with wetness.
Sounds engulfed the air with creatures of all types living in branches, the ground cover, skipping and hopping to branches.
Crow’s and Raven, Woodpeckers and the small ones busy carrying Nesting supplies and catching insects.
A surprised squirrel scolded him as it ran from the ground then up the tree next to him.
The Squirrel stopped it’s scolding and spoke to him.
Human, you are standing where you should not.
Have you not heard of this place?
“Squirrel”, Wandering Tortoise replied;
“This is the farthest I have journeyed from my Village.
I find this as beautiful of an area as the Creator has made.”
“Human, the Squirrel replied;
This forest has been here Eons before you were conceived of by the Creator.”
“That would explain the size of these Cedars” said Wandering Tortoise.
“This is home to the first peoples of the Forest.
The ones that came before you, and will most likely be here after your people have left our Mother,”
“Leave our Mother Earth? Asked Wandering Tortoise, He could not imagine what the Squirrel meant.
Nor could he imagine what other people he was talking about, he had never come across other humans in his travels,
Just peoples of other villages.
“I offer this advice” Squirrel said,
“Listen to the Hairy people, they are protectors of the forest and have been here longer than even the Squirrel people know”
With those words spoken, the Squirrel headed up the Giant Cedar, scampered across branches and out of sight.
What an interesting fellow thought Wandering Tortoise.
I had no idea there were humans before the creator sent us here.
I’ve never been lied to by any creature; they have no reason to lie to humans.
However, it seme’s to me that if there were others before us. We would have known by now.
Wandering Tortoise realized long ago the Creator with all his imagination and ability could never be understood.
And with that thought held in his mind was all the Justification for all that surrounded him.
Accepting whatever the Great Spirit offered, new or strange.
Was the reason he was here on the Mother Earth.
He clicked his tongue to make a sound as similar to the Squirrel as he could.
Letting the Squirrel people know that he was thanking them for their advice.
