The Polar Bear
Hunger drove the bear across his white world with every bit of his dwindling strength. The seals had migrated and spring had not yet arrived. He surveyed the horizon. All was evident from his briskness in his walk and the purposefulness from which he moved his head side to side. No tiny dots of any sort broke up the monochrome world. Soon he would have no reserves to move on, then his long time companions,the wolves, would visit him face to face. Synchronized in tandem his strength and the sunlight faded away together and instinct had him curling into a ball of white stillness. He contented himself with the thought that perhaps the wolves would not see him during the long winter night and slept.
The sleep was full of light, brighter than the brightest glare of summer off an icy crust atop the snow. Soon bears appeared, bears he knew. Or did he know them?He had never seen them move so gracefully nor slowly as he now witnessed. It was as if their very bodies seem to say "let go, let go." Yet, how does one do that. The only reply was silent graceful movement; they move on in perfect unison. Surrounding them and in them seemed to be bliss and wisdom. He followed. Soon there was a huge congregation of bears bathed in even more light. Among the herd were his mother and father. They only looked on with a dispassionate acknowledgment, their eyes filled with love. All the eyes radiated love. The seals were now everywhere, yet evidently there was no hunger. An Eskimo soul had helped them all. They did not utter a sound yet their was communication, or was it communion? Stay or go- stay or go- stay or go. There was no choice. He had no training in letting go of life.
He slowly left the vision and came towards a world of cold, back up step by step to consciousness. Again he regained the awareness of his cold and weak condition. The wolves darted in and out to test his condition. Instinct overwhelmed him. Where is safety? Safety. Must run to safety. The feeling permeated him each time the body lifted off the ground. Instinctively he ran towards where he was raised as a cub. He felt so secure there once and embraced and blissful. He lay down and slept peacefully as he once did as a cub. The major events of his life were experienced, then he found his parents again bathed in light. The parents faded as the wolves devoured his flesh. He could feel his essence become a help for them. He longed for a different fate. He was now one with the pack. He prayed for his offspring to be led to the bliss he saw for his parents.
The Wise Owl and the Holy Cricket
Wise is the owl. It rests at peace waiting for what comes. An easy meal, or perhaps a seeker aware its life is a spiritual journey- a soul stopping at night and so they may commune together and feel the Creator of souls.
One such seeker was a cricket, a high cricket soul surrendered about life and destiny. The Creator sent him to see the owl for what purpose he was not sure.“Greetings and blessings to you” said the cricket. The creator sent me to you for some purpose.
“Oh” said the owl, “I am just an ordinary owl that sits and feels other creatures round and about, as best I am able. Sometimes I sit and feel it is time to take creature for myself and live on. Those that have completed their life and become a help for my life. Perhaps I can help you complete your life, if it is right.”
“I see” said the cricket. “I may be a help to your life in that way, or some other, I do not know. I have had my family and become very adept at gaining my livelihood. I have done all this with love respecting the creatures involved. Perhaps it is my time said the cricket. Are you not hungry?”
“No” said the owl, “I have just eaten. It must not be your time.”
Come back tomorrow night if you wish.”
“Perhaps” said the cricket and hopped away.
The next night the cricket found itself going to see the owl.
“Are you hungry?”
“Extremely so” said the owl.
“I do not feel like hiding from you” said the cricket. I trust my life here is fulfilled.
“It must be” said the owl as it raised itself up; its wings spread, and sprang off his limb towards the meal. The cricket surrendered everything to his Creator but at that moment the owl deftly changed directions to catch a mouse that had just wandered out into the open.
The holy cricket knew there was still something important left to experience in his life.
'Be patient cricket of mine, and you and yours will live a life of harmony', he heard within. Simultaneously he chirped and it blended perfectly with the others of his kind. The next night the cricket hid in the leaves as crickets normally do and rested patiently. Soon he was thirsty, very thirsty, but did not feel to venture out. He surrendered as the night deepened and dew began to form. He watched as a droplet grew. He could feel its life growing, and could see its perfectly round, crystal clear form develop to beauty from nothingness.
The water wanted to go into him. The cricket gave thanks for it and drank, feeling its formless character shaped by his cavity, and how its character adapting easily to all circumstances and brought him life. The water flowed down toward the center of his self and from there he heard an inner voice.
“For the first time you appreciate water, my creature, restorer of life to all creatures, symbol of my never diminished power and mercy .”
Then he felt the soul of a small mouse smiling upon him. .
He felt very blessed and moved to tell his experience to the owl. The owl listened with great patience and respect and thanked him with three blinks of it huge eyes.
That night as the owl drank some water he was given to appreciate it for the first time and he knew he was now united with the water and remembered the cricket. Feeling gratitude towards the cricket, he started to fly away from the ground and a hawk took him, and all that remained was a feather that floated down slowly, as if from heaven.
It came to rest just over the cricket. He made his home under the feather and felt the owl’s protection. Then it started to rain and innumerable droplets poured out of the heavens.
The cricket watched in a state of ecstasy and awe, then the next day the wind blew the feather away. There was no power left to move himself and the holy cricket was taken swiftly and serenely as food for the owl’s descendants. While swallowing the owl could feel this was a holy cricket, surrendered and joyful.
As his body gained strength he became aware of the the bond between his ancestor and the holy cricket. Some of the experiences of the cricket’s life, as well as his grandfather’s was experience during his life. Eventually he also came to know the true nature of water. He felt harmony within him between all these souls. Every descendant of the wise owl was then blessed to find willing crickets and water whenever needed, and every descendant of the holy cricket was able to find water, even in times of drought or in a desert. As surely as an owl lowers its wing feathers protectively warm shelter seem to come to them as well.
A few of the holy cricket’s descendants are sent by the creator to the shelter of humans in the hope that one day the may gain the awareness of small prophets communing within their homes and within themselves.
Pruellen’s Noble Pets
By “Pop Pop”
“The time has come “said the mouse to the dog. “We will never get people to move into this house without a plan. No one has lived here for two years and its time the roof was fixed. Who knows, maybe they might even adopt us.”
“Do you have a plan said the dog? “Yes” answered the mouse. “But please”, said the mouse,” I would rather my plan did not include people with cats, ok?”
“Agreed.”, said the mouse.
“Now please tell me about your plan”
“We’ll do tricks,” said mouse. “We’ll do tricks on the front porch to attract passing cars. They will then maybe want to stop and look at the house. No other house has ever had a dog and mouse that does great tricks.”
They practiced day and night for a week and a half until the mouse was able to be flipped by the dogs tail, do two somersaults, and land on dogs head nearly every time!
At first only children noticed as the cars went by. They told their parents, but they didn‘t believe them. Finally after weeks of listening to their children pleading for them to drive by once again, some parents really did look. They could hardly believe it. They wondered at how this came to be. At first they decided they were escaped circus pets that were professionally trained. But every time the adults came to a stop and look, mouse and dog ran into the house and disappeared.
“This way”, said mouse, “this will lead them to look around.”
They scurried through a hole that went to the garage. Finally the parents decided it was a fancy trick using projection equipment to get buyers, not a real dog and mouse. The dog and mouse were having no luck at all.
After weeks and weeks went by a little girl came in a wheel chair with a very solemn face. She had never laughed, not once. But when she saw the two do their act, it all came out. She laughed for a long, long spell. In fact she couldn’t stop. Her parents didn’t see the mouse or dog because they were on their cell phones in the back yard.
“Maybe” said the parents, “we should buy this place and fix it up.
Pruellen has never ever laughed before. Perhaps it’s a sign.”
A month later workmen came and fixed the roof. Everything was painted. Birds came back into the yard and rabbits as well. A cheerful atmosphere began to emerge.
Two weeks after that, a moving van pulled up followed shortly by a minivan. The little girl was in it. The parents showed her how to go up a new ramp that was built for her.
“Where are they?” she asked,
“Where are who?” her parents replied.
“The dog; funny dog and cute mouse,”
Her parents just looked at each other without answering. Being in a wheel chair, Pruellen had made up many make believe friends before, so her parents were winking at each other. She continued, “I want to see their tricks.”
At that very moment the two were in the garage practicing a new trick. The mouse would walk from the head right into the dog’s mouth, and take several bows, and then do an aerial somersault to the ground.
After quite a bit of practice they were tired and slept. When they woke up most of the family’s furniture was in the house and they congratulated each other.
”It’s got to be the family with the little girl” said the dog.
“It is. I’m sure of it.”, said the mouse.”
After the first couple of days the three became great friends. Each day Pruellen talked to her friends whom she named Flipsy and Bitsy. Bitsy, because mouse was so itsy bitsy, and Flipsy, because dog could flip his tail so perfectly.
Things swiftly settled into a routine. Each day Pruellen went to school and as she got home and came up her wheelchair ramp, the two were waiting for her to do more tricks. She began smiling and laughing every single day and it made all three very glad.
Pruellen’s parents were of course very relieved she was laughing. They believed it was her imaginary friends, but they didn’t care. Each day Pruellen would bring snacks to the garage for her friends before school and pet them.
At school one day Pruellen was very surprised to hear an announcement. The principal had decided to have a pet show on the last day of school. All the parents and teachers would come to see the children show off their pets. She was in heaven. Children signed up with their turtles, birds, cats, and one even had a raccoon, but no one had a dog and mouse team, except Pruellen. She simply couldn’t wait for the last day of school to show her friends.
When she excitedly explained to her teacher the tricks that they were going to do the teacher was polite, but Pruellen could tell, she didn’t really believe her. She acted like her parents did when they didn’t take her seriously. Pruellen didn’t mind. In fact, it would make the last day of school even more special.
As for some of the kids in her class who called her a liar straight out, they would see her in a new way.
Only three days were left before the big day. She told Flipsy and Bitsy about the show. They were very much looking forward to helping her prove that her story was the simple truth. Pruellen’s parents were concerned at first that she had signed up her imaginary friends, but later that day explained to her teacher privately about Pruellen’s imaginary friends..
The very morning of the pet show her parents decided to go into the garage and begin to clean out quite a bit of stuff the last owner’s had left.
As they opened the door, there was a real live dog and mouse, just like their daughter had described. You can very much imagine their further surprise and amazement when they saw Flipsy and Bitsy practicing their tricks. Their mouths were still hanging open when Pruellen found them.
“Now do you believe me?”
‘W e always tried to believe you” her father said, “but this is beyond what even the top circus performers have been able to accomplish.” he said as he petted Flipsy.
As her mother thought over what her father had just said, she became lost in thought and a serious look came across her face. “Your father’s right dear, and what’s more, if you bring them to the pet show today, their life, and ours, will never be the same. We will all be bothered by photographers, news people, circus owners, movie makers, magazines, and cereal makers wanting their picture on the front.”
“I could be famous?”
“Yes” said her mother, “you could be famous”
“And what about Flipsy and Bitsy?”
Her mother and father looked at each other and were silent and solemn for quite a while. Her father stumbled over his words a little.
“That would be hard to say. It might be good for them, or they might get frightened by so much attention and change. People will want to profit off of them.”
Pruellen looked sad. Flipsy and Bitsy understood everything.
When her mom and dad left them alone for few minutes she talked to Flipsy and Bitsy.
“Everyone but my best friend thinks I’m a liar and even she has to work hard to believe me. Please, would you perform for me today?”
They both nodded in agreement. Pruellen had no hint of it from them, but Flipsy and Bitsy knew their future would be very unhappy, for they hated crowds and attention of that sort. The real truth was they agreed because they loved Pruellen dearly.
It was time for school so she put them in her wagon and walked to school as her Mom and Dad were talking on their phones to entertainment “experts” of all types and descriptions.
As she reached her school she saw two girls who had been unkind to her.
“I would like you to introduce you to Flipsy and Bitsy”, she said to her classmates.
“Big deal, a dog and a mouse”, they replied.
Oh well, she thought. In only ten minutes her turn would come to show Flipsy and Bitsy. They would all see she was truthful, including her teacher and the principal. On top of that, she would be famous!
But the minutes crawled by so slowly. Each minute felt like ten minutes. She finally took a deep breath and relaxed. She looked at Flipsy and Bitsy.
They were going through the warm up routine she had seen them do so many times. Flipsy would flip his empty tail as Bitsy talked into his ear.
She wondered if she detected sadness in their eyes. The love these creatures had for her was enormous, as was their courage, and now for the first time she felt really connected and understood how deep it really was. Just as her parents pulled up, something unexpected was triggered from within her. She acted on it immediately and began speaking out in a loud and serene voice.
“I have an announcement. My parents have come here to stop me from making a fool of myself in front of everyone because I have told such outrageous stories. I ask now that you all forgive me for my over active imagination, and also that you please excuse us as I feel we should take our pets home.”
Her parents were shocked at her decision. In fact, they had even thought they might become wealthy after talking on the phone to some marketing experts. Still they accepted her decision, and they knew Flipsy and Bitsy would never perform without Pruellen’s say so.
Several years passed. Flipsy and Bitsy’s willingness to sacrifice and their example of courage helped Pruellen to always do her best. She even learned to walk with braces on her legs. Later Pruellen grew up, fell in love, and became a fantastic mother. Her slow stiff walk never made her less cheerful. She shared with her children that she never would have laughed or loved, married or had children, if God had not sent Flipsy and Bitsy into her life.
She saw to it her beloved pets performed only for those rare people who could keep a secret.
Eventually as must always happen, one day age caught up with Bitsy and he passed away. Perhaps no pets had ever changed a person’s life for the better as Flipsy and Bitsy had done for Pruellen.
Pruellen’s children were very glad to have hear the stories about Flipsy and Bitsy from their grandparents. From their grandparents they learned about Pruellen’s decision to turn down fame and fortune. The grandparents always told them that perhaps they were the noblest pets on earth.
Does a secret video exist of the performances of Flipsy and Bitsy? Only Pruellen knows for sure, though many of her close friends say so. Who knows? Maybe some day everyone may get to see the magic teamwork of Flipsy and Bitsy on video.
By Pop Pop
Aka David McCormack