Nature and the Power of the Will and other Short Stories

Introduction

Just like any other human being, I feel the tug of my memories transporting me to diverse temporal dimensions of my past. I am grateful for this particular human attribute, because, through the distance of many years, I have been able to relive treasured moments of childhood happiness—especially those related to my communion with nature.

The rivers with their rapids and their deep and shallow swimming holes; the animals and birds, wild and tame, calling on nature for their needs; trees, many with mouth-watering fruits; sunny days and cloudy ones; the breeze, the strong blowing wind that I could not see but could hear and feel; the light rain, cloudbursts and rainstorms, followed by the intense aroma of damp earth; the clear evenings with full moon and starry nights inviting me to sleep outdoors, and those pitch-dark nights that imbue terror in young children; the light drizzle of the evenings that cool the body, and the morning dew that moisten bare feet. And I, running through byways, woods and forests, engaged with that immense nature that reaches so far and yet is so close to me. All of this calls me from the past. It is so unforgettable that I write it down, so I could also touch it and taste it and place its image in the imagination of my people, my family, who, someday, will want to know how I was and what I did as a kid.

Even from the distance of years past, the intensity these experiences demands that I focus on them. They will become an endless source of energy that will maintain in me, a lifelong flow of happiness.

Many of these stories serve to refresh those memories. And although some of them, inevitably, tend to lean towards a philosophical notion, all are close to reality. They indicate my great admiration for the boundless nature that hugs us in its bosom as its offspring. At the same time, nature offers us, as a gift, the pleasure of its infinite beauty and complexity. It protects us. It destroys us and it creates us.

Within these stories, I suggest that there can be better relations among the living things on our planet. This can be achieved only if we have a genuine desire and dedicate time to understanding and developing at least some measure of tolerance for one another. To this end, I have endeavored to represent that hope in a symbolic manner, giving practical expression to some qualities, like instinct, that are common to all animals including humans. I have tried to present some examples of and opportunities for cooperation between predator and prey.

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I do not pretend that these stories possess literary value. But, I do hope that they bring some readers pleasant memories of their childhood and, probably, more than this: the intriguing thought of tolerating and even becoming friends with those who possess cultural traits different from our own.

Dedication

I am grateful to my wife, Joseína, for her unlimited patience while I toiled at my writing. And to my Ecuadorian friend and editor, Arnulfo Jaramillo, who suggested that I should try to publish them.

I am no less grateful to Marco, my son, who did most of the work in formatting of this book.

The Eagle and the Fish: Nature at Work

The warm days of spring make the northern woods come alive. Bear, elk, deer and many other animals feed on all what nature provides for them. Their mating call is a prelude to the preservation of the species. Birds, large and small, fill the air with their songs, driven by the same call of the wild. The drone and the shrill of frogs and insects complete the symphony of a new life.

The sun returns once again from its winter sojourn in the south, awakening the wilderness that had been suspended in hibernation.

If, by early spring, nature has asserted its predictability by commanding its creatures to begin the process of reproduction, by late spring the product of such averment begins to show. Newborns and eggs show up all over the land.

It was about midday. An eagle was feeding her chicks in her nest, perched high on the ledge of a cliff by a large, blue lake.

The hungry cries of the young eaglets, that necessitated keeping their mouths open, had subsided. Their hunger was sated after a full meal of fresh fish. After having her portion of the meal, mother eagle cleaned the nest, eating every scrap of food left by the little ones. Then she left them, safe in their high nook and flew across the lake to sit on the branch of a tree, near the water.

She had been resting for a while, when she noticed a large fish swimming erratically near the surface. The fish rolled over occasionally, showing its shiny, white belly for a few seconds, and then straightening itself. It slowed to a short stop, before resuming its wobbly swimming again.

Having had its appetite satisfied, the eagle’s predator instincts were dulled--at least for the moment. Unable to hold her curiosity any longer, she asked the fish, What’s wrong, Mr. Fisho?

Surprise and fear momentarily paralyzed the fish when he heard the voice of his natural enemy. Aware of his precarious condition, he decided he has nothing to lose by being aggressive with the eagle, so he responded, Go away, Mrs. Aguila! We are not friends. You just want to feed on me.

I don’t want to eat you, I swear, replied the eagle, I just ate a belly full and I have also fed my chicks. I came here only to take a nap. Then I saw you bobbing and flip-flopping about like a drunk and since I know you don’t drink, I was curious about what is wrong with you.

You can think and say whatever you want. There is nothing you can do for me, replied the fish. "So, forget about me and go away. The pain was evident in his voice.

You sound like you are in pain, insisted the eagle. I can see from here that you are injured. I can help you. You may choose not to believe me. But, on the other hand, if you trust me I can cure you in a short time.

On hearing what the eagle had to say, the fish was overcome by painful laughter.

Mrs. Aguila, you are hastening my death by making me lose the little energy I have left, laughing at what you are saying. Tell me: How in my right mind could I expect to be helped by an eagle?

Well, I can see that you still are of a clear mind and in good enough spirits to make the right decision. By the way, how and when were you injured? asked the eagle.

Look who’s asking? blurted the fish. Then, after taking a moment to catch his breath, he continued. One of your kind tried to pluck me out of the water this morning. I was either too heavy for him or he grabbed me with one talon only and I came loose.

It must have been the latter, responded the eagle. You only show one gash on your back. Anyway, I am sorry to hear that, Mr. Fisho. But, we both understand the laws of nature. That aside for now: Let me tell you about myself. Like most predators I hunt when I am hungry or when I have to feed my family. I don’t kill for the sake of killing. On the contrary, when I am not looking for food (as it just so happens now) I try to help others who are in need regardless of the species.

Mrs. Aguila, what is it that you want with me? asked the fish impatiently. I am hurting and cannot float here forever listening to you. It doesn’t benefit me to hear you talk. I must find a place to rest until I die or heal. Go away.

Wait, cried the eagle. Don’t leave! I’ll be brief. I have to be because you need to be helped now to be able to survive. As you know, I am always in the woods and I know all kinds of vegetation, including some with medicinal properties. As soon as I noticed that you were hurt, I thought about a poultice made with chewed leaves of the pomander bush, mixed with spring water and pollen from a particular flower. When this dressing is applied to a fresh wound, it speeds the healing process so fast that the wound is usually cured after only two treatments. I’ve never tried it on fish, but I did on some of my friends after they got injured in fights with each other and it worked fine.

Are you sure, Mrs. Aguila, that you don’t want to season me for one of the best meals of your life?

I am not kidding, Mr. Fisho. Besides, you should realize that if you meet your friends they would abandon you to die because of your injury. I am offering you a chance of survival--the only chance you have now. Think it over quickly while you still have your wits and your body is not yet too weak. If you decide to let me help you, I can go and come back in a few minutes with the healing plaster.

Okay, Mrs. Aguila, I am beginning to think that you are for real. Like you said, I am going to die anyway if left to the laws of nature. So, go ahead! I’ll wait for you here, hoping that one of your friends doesn’t find me.

Stay in the shade under the tree and you’ll be safe, advised the eagle, heading off to the woods to gather the supplies for the healing poultice.

In a few minutes, the eagle returns with a bunch of leaves in her claws. They have been moistened in spring water and sprinkled with yellowish pollen. She chews the leaves until the mixture turns into a paste. Then she calls the fish to the shallow edge of the lake. Still not quite sure about trusting the eagle, he approaches the big bird very cautiously. She instructs him to lie on his good side to get the wound clear out of the water. With utmost care, she applies a layer of the poultice with her beak inside the wound and tells the fish to remain steady, keeping the wound out of the water for a few minutes until the medicine takes effect.

The fish is not too sure yet about why all this is happening between an eagle and him. He asked, Mrs. Aguila, if I get better and return to my school what should I tell them? Should I say that an eagle saved my life? You and I know that they won’t believe it, and for sure they will throw me out and banish me forever, for being a liar or insane.

Don’t worry about that now, Mr. Fisho, advised the eagle. Let’s get you back to normal and then you can decide what to do. Now, stay here a little longer while I go for the second treatment. I’ll be back shortly.

When the eagle returned, she cleansed the wound and applied another layer of the paste. Again, she instructed the fish to keep the wound above the surface for a few more minutes before swimming into deep water.

She flew back to the tree branch where she had been sitting before and waited for the fish to move.

In a short time, the fish started to swim slowly, this time without bobbing and rolling over. He felt so good that he yelled to the eagle, Thank you Mrs. Aguila! I must declare that I thought you had a mean streak all the way through. Where did you get this compassionate vein?

Mr. Fisho, we all have it, replied the eagle. "The problem is that many of us seldom try hard enough to find it and use it. Go back. Join your school and don’t forget to tell them a little white lie--something like you rubbed the wound on some algae-covered magic rock on the other side of the lake, and after a few passes you got healed. You don’t have to worry about being caught in this lie. The odds of surviving an eagle’s fishing dive and living to tell the story the way it actually happened to you this morning are almost nil.

The Fish’s Dream

Not long ago, somewhere in the northern woods near the shore of a big lake, a fairly large fish was swimming near the surface, seemingly looking for something or someone.

An eagle after sharing a meal of rabbit with her eaglets on the other side of the lake had flown to this spot, as was her daily custom, to rest on a tree branch overhanging the water. From her perch, she observed the fish for a while. She realized that they knew each other from a previous encounter, when the eagle had treated the fish for a back wound caused by another eagle’s aborted try at catching him. The eagle addressed the fish, What’s up Mr. Fisho? she asked.

Oh! Mrs. Águila! exclaimed the fish; "I couldn’t see you there in the shade. I see you remember me. How are you?

I remember everything, and I am okay, the eagle told him. How about you? she asked politely.

I guess I am okay, too, the fish replied. But, I have a special reason for coming here today. I know that you usually come here to rest after feeding your little ones, so I was hoping to see you to ask if you know of a good eagle eye doctor in your neighborhood.

What do you need an eye doctor for? asked the eagle.

That’s the sort of embarrassing part, admitted the fish. But I’ll tell you anyway. I want to have my eyes fixed so I’d be able to see better...well... almost as good as an eagle.

What do you want to do that for? asked the eagle.

Well, first I will tell you about a dream I had last night that has kept me wondering all day.

Okay, tell me about it, said the eagle. But, promise you won’t put me to sleep on this tree branch.

I promise, agreed the fish. "This is what happened in my dream. I was in the middle of the