One day, sitting on the soft sand beach, minding her own business making dribble castles in the sand, a small child saw a seagull trying to open up a big snail shell.
“What are you doing “, kindly asked the little girl.
The creator has played a trick on us. “He’s given us these succulent snails…one would feed me and my family. I just can’t figure out how to break these tough shells.
The child thought, “I’ve used sticks and other sharp things,” she said.
“Great for you,” he squawked, in only the way a seagull can. “You have hands and are strong.”
The child thought again.
Hours seemed to pass and the two sat on the edge of the beach and thought hard together.
They stopped the pelican as he flew by, “do you know how the seagull can enjoy these delicious snails?”
The pelican laughed and explained he ate only fish and dropped down on them from very high in the sky.
Next they stopped the osprey…he explained he also only ate fish and spotted them from high in the sky, then would dive straight into the water. He flew off being of no help to the child or seagull.
Soon an otter came swimming by tangled up in the seaweed and rolling around a couple of rocks.
“Oh Otter of the sea, how do you break open the clams and spiny urchins you enjoy?”
The otter playfully answered, “why with rocks of course.”
The three of them sat down on a gigantic rock and starring into the sky and at the drifting clouds.
All at once a raven flew by and saw the three.
“What seems to be the problem?” he quizzed the three.
The child explained the raven the seagull’s dilemma.
The raven laughed out load, “that’s a simple problem to solve,” as he flew high into the sky with the snail.
The seagull got angry and was about to fly after him when he let go of the snail.
It fell to the rocky shore with a loud crack!
The raven flew back and asked the seagull what he was waiting for.
The four of them went over to where the snail had fallen and there before them…was the snail cracked wide open.
The child giggled.
Between all the birds and the otter, the raven had used a bit from them all.
The seagull gathered up all the snails it could find before the tide came in.
The otter swam deep into the kelp and brought a tasty bunch of clams.
The raven brought an ear of corn.
The child starred with delight at this huge feast.
All her new animal friends shared in the feast and all nestled down and fell fast asleep.
In the morning, the child woke to the otter cradling her in her arms.
The child thanked the otter and wandered back into the woods.
JA 2021
Two Travelin' Chicas... 