Story: 'The Platypus'

Story by Andrew Pakula and Rev. Linda Hart

Long, long ago when the Earth was young, so long ago that the stars can scarcely remember the tale, the god of the sea created all of the sea creatures - all of the beasts that swam in, floated upon or crawled beneath the waters of the great oceans. And he blessed them and sent them forth to grow and multiply. And the god of the land created all of the land creatures – all of the beasts that walked and crawled and slithered upon the earth – and she blessed them and sent them forth also to grow and multiply. The god of the sea and the god of the land decided that all creatures should understand and have compassion for one another, so they gave all the world's creatures the same language. Creatures of the land knew creatures of the sea and creatures of the sea knew the creatures of the land. Whenever there was trouble – if there was a storm or a drought or an earthquake – they would meet at the water's edge to ask each other for help. In this way, all creatures lived in harmony.

The earth grew cold, and ice began to cover the seas, and it became nearly impossible for the animals to speak to one another, so on they went, all in their own spheres, slowly, oh so slowly growing apart and forgetting the language that bound them one to another.

After many, many years had passed though, the creatures of the sea and land slowly grew apart. When the ice melted, they tried to speak, but found that they could no longer understand each other well. The creatures of the sea became suspicious of the creatures of the land. "What is it they do there where there is no water?" they were heard to say. "It's just not natural! Being in the sea is the only right way to live." And the creatures of the land heard these things and they became angry with the creatures of the sea. "The land is the only natural place to live" they said.

Now that the sea and land creatures no longer had a way to understand one another and to be compassionate for one another. Little problems eventually grew into big ones. When pebbles fell from the land into the sea, the sea creatures thought they were being attacked. When a wave splashed upon the land, the creatures of the land thought they were being attacked. And so it went as the land and sea creatures become more and more angry toward each other. The sea creatures met in their council – "the axis of evil land creatures are preparing to attack us" said one particularly divisive but influential sea cucumber. "We must mount a preemptive strike!" And so the creatures of the sea prepared their attack as all the whales of all the oceans got into position ready to create a great tidal wave to flood the land. And on the land, seeing the preparations in the sea and with great fears of their own, all the elephants of the world took their positions to push a great mountain into the sea to turn the waters to mud.

Seeing all this, the god of the land and the god of the sea despaired for their creations. They wondered what they might do. At last, they chose to create an ambassador – an animal that would be accepted by the sea world and the land world. And so they took the bill of a duck, the body of a beaver and gave it webbed feet like a bird. They had it lay eggs like a reptile or a bird, but gave it warm blood like a mammal. When they were finished, they rejoiced and they breathed life into their creation – the platypus. But the platypus, on seeing herself, was horrified. "What am I?" she cried. "I am neither bird, nor mammal, nor reptile." "I can be at home nowhere! I shall hide myself away in the mud."

But the gods spoke to her, saying: "know, little one, that you have a great task ahead of you for which you are specially made. For only you can bring harmony to all of creation. Go with our love into the world." And the platypus found herself in a dense marsh area, Water under her feet, solid ground nearby.

When the sea creatures saw the platypus, they were wary of her. 'What are you?' they asked, worry infusing their voices. 'I am platypus, a creature of the sea,' she told them and they welcomed her as one of their own. 'But I am also of the land, and I come to remind you that as you were created to be part of the whole of life, so too were the creatures of the land. Seek to be present to them in love and compassion and you will find that they are your sisters and brothers. When the land creatures saw the platypus, 'I am platypus, a creature of the land,' she told them and they welcomed her as one of their own. 'But I am also of the sea, and I come to remind you that as you were created to be part of the whole of life, so too were the creatures of the sea. Seek to be present to them in love and compassion and you will find that they are your sisters and brothers.

And so it was that the sea creatures and the land creatures came -- cautiously, oh, so cautiously -- to the edge of the water, and began to listen to the one another. The words that were spoken were strange and hard to understand, but platypus could help, she could translate until they could see again that they were sisters and brothers, bound together in a living whole. And peace was once more upon the seas and the land.

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