Passing of the Sun

[Pandora Talie]

[imgleft]http://matope.pixel-blueberry.com/image ... uncert.png[/imgleft]Once everyone had arrived, Star Collector approached the fire with a small sack in tow. She grinned tossing its contents into the bonfire which erupted with a flash of smoke and bright light. She coughed and waved her foreleg. “I meant to do that.” Before her company lost their attention, she began her story.

“Long, long ago, it was discovered that the sun is a ball, that is on fire, flying overhead in the sky.” There were some murmurs and eye rolls but she continued.

“Bats! You see, back in those days, bats were much more brazen, and one night a particularly bold fellow decided that the night wasn’t long enough.

Just as the sun peeked up over the horizon, he tried to stop it, and he swatted it, driving it back down into the sea below.” Star Collector made a stomping motion with her foreleg for dramatic effect before continuing.

“As it would happen, thankfully, a sea turtle, watching the sunrise as they often did, saw this and decided that something must be done.” Star nodded towards the nearby acha.

“The turtle swam to the place where the morning sun had landed and swam deep down to its resting place. The poor sun was quite small and cold at this point, being thoroughly drenched by the frigid waters of the sea.” Star hugged herself tightly and shivered. “Gingerly, the turtle carried the sun to the water’s edge and waited for another of the sun’s friends to come their way.”

Star broadened her smile. “Luckily, they didn't have to wait long before a friendly salamander came along. The salamander loved the warm glow of the sun, and she was more than glad to carry it back to the sky. But she needed to get to higher ground. So on she went.” Star pantomimed walking with forelegs outstretched overhead holding an imaginary sun.

“The salamander carried the sun for a time, growing warmer as time went on and the sun-dried from being soaked by the sea. Well, this is nice, she thought, enjoying her journey. After a while, the sun was fully dry, bigger, and quite hot to the touch, but the salamander did not mind. As it turned out, she had a special kind of connection to the sun, and being in close contact with it awakened a long-dormant part of her. Onlookers would probably note a trace of flames running up her back. And as a matter of fact, one did.”

Star Collector leaned forward close to the ground making eye contact with the totoma across from her.

“A lynx!..was prowling nearby, looking for his next meal, when he spotted a bobbing glow meandering through the trees. He followed for a fleeting moment before growing impatient and pouncing-” Star Collector jumped towards the totoma dramatically! “Attacking at the wrong time, the salamander managed to evade this hasty ambush, but woefully dropped the sun in her desperate escape.” The totoma huffed and grinned as Star scanned the crowd. “The salamander you see, had little ones at home and could not afford to risk her life trying to fight off the lynx. The lynx did briefly attempt to pursue but was startled by an unexpected puff of flame that seemed to come out of the salamander.” Star’s mouth formed an ‘o’ shape with surprise.

“Now alone with the sun, the lynx played with it for a time: swatting it to and fro.” Star rolled a pine cone back and forth between her hooves then scooted it towards a foal. “ It was quite the amazing prize; he was loath to leave this behind. Being too hot to carry in his mouth, though, the lynx decided to bat it up the mountain to his den. It would never be cold again!” She nodded in agreement.

“Half-way home, as the trees grew sparse, higher up the mountain, the lynx was spotted himself.” Her eyes narrowed.

Star Collector held a twigged bird figure in her mouth and waved it around the fire while attempting to sound like an eagle. It cast shadows upon the rock (that looked pretty cool in Star's head) which mimicked a flying bird. She then accidentally dropped it into the fire. Carrying on with her story.

“Soaring high overhead was a golden eagle, searching for the sun. The majestic golden eagle, you see, knew something was awry when the sun didn’t rise on time this morning and was obliged to look. Spotting the wiley cat swatting the sun below, the eagle swooped down catching the sun mid-flight, and carried it high into the sky.

There you are friend, the golden eagle said, dropping the sun back into place.”

“And that’s how Salamander’s got their fire… I mean how we learned the sun is a fiery ball.” Star Collector finished, taking a bow.