The pond
After a long night, exhausted, I decided it was a good time to return home. Unfortunately, I had been drinking too much and wasn’t walking very straight, so I ended up lost in what I initially thought was an urban park, but which turned out to be a huge, lush magical forest.
After a lot of staggering and turning around, not really knowing which way was either south or north, I decided that the most reasonable thing would be to walk in a straight line. After a while, which seemed very long, a huge clearing opened before me. And in the middle of the clearing, a huge pond, almost like a lake, where I thought I could glimpse, in the light of the dawning dawn, a multitude of animals of all sizes and colors, all of them drinking from the pond, and when they weren’t drinking it seemed to me that they were philosophizing among themselves.
At that moment I noticed that he passed by me like a shadow. Distraught, I slowly turned my gaze, and saw that it was actually a crow, black as a moonless night. The crow walked towards the puddle, solemn and with a permanent frown.
–How is everything, Mr. Cuervo? –I asked quickly.
–How is everything? What kind of question is that? Are you mocking me? Nothing is right! Nothing has ever been right! Nor will it be!
I was stunned, not knowing what to say. Mr. Crow looked at me for a while and with a very annoyed look, he continued:
–It seems to me that we are all like vapor that appears for a while and then fades away and goes away. The Nature that stops us is the same that kills us. And if surviving in the memory of your loved ones is any consolation…ha! Remember that they and their memories must also die later. Life is very short, and when I listen to every moment, every moment threatens to be my last. What a bummer!
-Oh! -I responded surprised-, in that case perhaps death is a consolation…
–But what nonsense you say, human! No living being wants death! Life kills us, yes, but it wants us alive, if anything so it can torture us with its withering promise. And who cares about all this? Don’t you feel like thinking about other things and getting away from me? The truths hurt! Life is miserable, and there is no choice but to live it!
I saw the crow then bend down and collect some water with its beak.
–What disgusting water! All insipid and purposeless. And after a while the thirst will return, and again I will have to lower my throat and drink! Oh, endless torture and the only possible experience! I drink and go! You are a very annoying human, let you know!
And I saw the crow leave as gloomy as he came, and grumbling all sorts of things every time he came across another little animal.
At that moment I felt something pull on my pants, delicately. I looked down and saw a squirrel with eyes wide awake and full of joy. She looked at me very curious, and her enormous smile showed two huge, very white teeth that were dazzling.
–How are you, Mrs. Squirrel? How is everything going?
–Better than ever! And I am very glad that you asked me, because it seems to me that joy multiplies when it is shared, and I feel very happy! Let’s celebrate then, drink with me!
–Yes, but you see, Mrs. Squirrel, I’m a little lost…
–But what nonsense are you talking, human friend? –he interrupted me–. You are here, in the pond! Don’t you see it? I have found you! Even more reason to drink with me! Let’s drink!
–Well, well… –I bent down to drink water, not wanting to offend the squirrel.
–But how delicious the water is, how tasty, how refreshing, how luxurious… –the squirrel murmured after each sip.
–Mrs. Squirrel, do you know Mr. Crow? I’ve come across it before…
–Of course I know him! What a magnificent person, what beauty of color, and what a strong brow!
–I noticed that he seemed worried… well, honestly, it seemed to me that he felt a little sad.
-Foolishness! Why should anyone be sad?
–He said something about death, suffering, needs and sorrows…
–But what beautiful words! And how good they sound in your mouth! You’re going to make me cry with joy! You must be confused, human, let me explain to you: we are born into life, yes, what great luck! And that’s not all, the luckiest among us even realize that they are alive. We are doubly lucky, if you ask me. It is true that we fall sometimes and hurt ourselves, but watch, wait a while and, as if by magic… the wounds close! Do you realize? Our body repairs itself, breathes on its own, works most of the time! You go to sleep tired at night, and you wake up feeling brand new, and you’re not missing an arm or a leg, with the same head on your shoulders! Incredible, how wonderful! Nature wants you alive and happy! Thus, freely, without asking you for anything in return… And what are needs, you say? What is thirst but a magnificent opportunity to enjoy water again! But what an interesting conversationalist you are! I’m leaving, human, you’ve made me want to look for other conversationalists as magnificent as you! See you later!
And I saw the squirrel leave jumping a lot, and it seemed to me that he was smiling all the time, and when he wasn’t smiling, he was laughing out loud… But I, still lost and a little bloated from drinking water, decided that it was a good time to look for a dry place to sit and rest. And, just as I dropped my butt onto a log, I looked up and saw a sandhill crane staring at me, expressionless:
–How are you, Mrs. Crane?
–Neither good nor bad.
–Ah… I’m glad, I’m glad… –I didn’t know very well what to answer.
–Are you happy? You shouldn’t be very disciplined, I see. Are you one of those who suffers when you are hurt or rejoices when you are healthy? You let yourself go, in short, like a weather vane, wherever the wind blows! How unserious, how unreliable…
–Wow, I’m sorry you got such a bad impression…
-Human! Am I your mistress and you are my slave? Are your emotions my lapdog? Why do you feel one way or another, based on my impressions or anyone else’s, about yourself or anything? Since you are, emotionally, like a crying, restless puppy, let me give you some advice: tie yourself up, and tie yourself short! Never give yourself too much rope and, above all, do not give your reins to anyone, or anything! Avoid pleasures, because tomorrow you will miss them. The sweetest nectar that you have the opportunity to drink today, swallow it without tasting, because tomorrow you will have to drink from the swamp, and it will cost you less. And now I’m leaving, because I want to.
And I saw the crane leave, neither too slow nor too fast, but with a very dignified air. And while I had not yet finished digesting the crane’s words, I saw a very cute lizard passing in front of me.
–Hello human. You don’t see many of your kind around here. Are you lost?
–That’s right, Mr. Lizard.
–Well, nothing, just follow the nearest bank until you find a stream; If you follow the meander for a couple of hours, you’ll return to the world you came from. Fare well, human!
–Wait Mr. Lizard, a moment…
-Yeah?
–The rest of the animals I have encountered have spoken to me about their way of seeing life…
–I see, and you want me to tell you about mine?
–Well, since I’m here at the pond…
–Human, before answering you, allow me a question: why are you interested in knowing what others think?
–Well, I think that sometimes you find good clues, good advice, in what others say, in line with that saying: the wise man learns from the mistakes of others.
–It makes sense, and what have you learned so far?
–From Mr. Cuervo, that life is unspeakable suffering and torture, and that it can only be suffered until death. From Mrs. Squirrel, that life is an endless source of joy, and that every adversity is an opportunity for joy. And from Mrs. Crane, that it is necessary to avoid joy and suffering and live eternally impassive and content, but not too much.
–And from me, have you learned anything?
-Nothing!
-Sure?
–Well, the way home…
–Which is not little! I’m going to be honest with you, human. I have a philosophy too, sometimes similar to that of the Crow, sometimes to that of the Squirrel or the Mole, to that of the Cat… you see! It seems to me that it changes over time, and if it changes it means that it is not perfect, and if it is not perfect and it is wrong, why share it? But one thing is clear to me: that you are lost, and that is where you turn. Have a good trip!
And the lizard left without telling me what he was really thinking, or maybe he wasn’t thinking at all, but at least now he knew the way home, and reflecting on the conversations he had had on the banks of the pond made the way back much more enjoyable.