Element Animals: Legends Rising

Memory XI

One week and four nights old

"Da? Why are there so many stars?" I mused, wriggling as I peered out at the starry night sky. "And why are there stars? What are they made of, stones?" 

Da laughed. "Of course not, dear! To fully answer your questions so your curiosity is satisfied, otherwise you will keep annoying me until you get the information you want,"--I blinked innocently at him--"let me answer one question at a time.

"There are so many stars because God wished them so. When there were still some two-legged, pink-skinned, mostly-fur-less creatures called 'hooman's, God told one of them that his descendants would be as numerous as the stars in the sky, for God had created as many stars as he could fit in the sky.

"There are stars because the moon alone was not bright enough to light up the night, so God created stars to help the moon.

"No animal knows for sure what stars are made out of, so there are many theories. One is that they are actually large stones, as you suggested; another is that they are the sun and moon's offspring, spreading across the sky with their mother; a third is that they are giant balls of flaming gas."

I wrinkled my forehead. "'Giant balls of flaming gas'? Who came up with that? That's pure nonsense, 'giant balls of flaming gas' in the sky! Da, even I know better than that!" I told him. Da nodded, ruffling my feathers affectionately. "Well, dear, there are some truly frightening and astounding animals out there. Some are crazy, where they do not think straight; others are purposely insane, and others are merely--er--"

"Well?" I prompted. He pursed his beak. "Er, never mind. You're too young to learn about those others just yet, Aval. Trust me, okay?"

I sighed. "Fine." I turned around and counted to five, then popped around again. "Okay, I am older now! Will you tell me?" Da stifled a smile. "No, dear, I meant when you are perhaps a moon or two older."

I pouted. "But Da! I want to know now! If you had not mentioned the third sort of bad animals, then I would not be curious, but since you did, I am now doubly curious," I told him, trying to angle the information.

"Yes, I know," Da said in exasperation. "But you still won't get the information out of me!"

I considered my options: annoy Da further, and become less and less likely to get information; or learn about those creatures Da called "hoomans". I decided to learn about "hoomans". "Da, what are those 'hoomans' you spoke of?" Da made a face. "Did you have to choose hoomans?"

I nodded vigorously. Da sighed, but he relented. "All right. 'Hoomans' are two-legged. They stood on their legs upright, were pink-, yellow-, brown-, or black-skinned, and were almost fur-less; the only fur they had was on their heads, while bits of fur here and there stood out on various parts of their body. They also had an assortment of brightly-colored pelts all over their bodies, in different shapes. Is that good enough for you?"

I shook my head. My curiosity was doubled, and I wanted to know about their behavior and all other sorts of stuff. "Explain more," I pleaded. "Tell me what they are like."

Da's face darkened. "Well, the brown-skinned hoomans were nice and left us alone. And then the pink-skinned hoomans came, or rather just the malicious ones (for most pink-skinned hoomans weren't evil), and they started capturing animals and 'breeding' them--forcefully mating them. Years later, they put animals in what they called 'zoos', where they shoved animals in 'cages' or 'exhibits'--containers made of metal, stone, or what they called 'glass', melted sand. They maltreated them, abused them, and worst of all, they hunted hundreds, perhaps even thousands, of animal species to extinction. Through deforestation and other methods of taking over animals' habitats, they killed many off, endangering other species, and treating lots cruelly. Many hoomans weren't bad, but they could not stop those who were. Eventually, to save the few animal species left, we animals had to kill off the hoomans."

I sat in silence, until, finally, I whispered, "Oh. Thank you, Da." Da ruffled my feathers comfortingly. "You're welcome, dear."