Chakik looked back at the highway as they left it. How recently he had thought of it as magical and demonic. The black dragon was not a monster, but a vehicle the humans used to transport themselves quickly. It’s body and tail now relegated to the simple knowledge of it being a ‘road’ as the turtle called it. The depth of wisdom that the turtle possessed never stopped amazing the squirrel. Chakik had been bold in his knowledge of understanding and now almost every day felt humbled by FastPile.
As they worked their way westward, the squirrel had ample time to reminisce about his naivete. Before he met FastPile, all he knew was from his small forest and the trees around him. Thankfully for the squirrel’s sanity, the trees had remained consistent. No matter how much new knowledge of the world the turtle shared, Chakik always knew more about the trees. And the trees where always there. Chakik began to realize that his ability to climb the trees gave him a special knowledge of them, but at the same time, it narrowed his knowing of the rest of his surroundings. The hot, dark, back of the Black Dragon was a very common thing outside of his forest. FastPile’s long and deep vision of the greater world amazed the squirrel with every revelation.
As they carefully and speedily crossed many roads on their quest to The Whale, Chakik’s understanding grew and grew. FastPile used the words the humans used, which Chakik thought boring and unintuitive, but they became the norm. The Black Dragon and its fearful face became ‘cars’ and ‘roads’. (Chakik still preferred to call roads Black Dragons, which annoyed the turtle to no end). Their more frequent encounters with humans themselves made the squirrel wonder how they created such marvels as the Black Dragon. Individually they did not seem to comprehend half as much as the squirrel knew.
“How can they have made this?” Chakik asked about the roads to the intelligent turtle.
“Many make up more than just the one.” was the obtuse answer.
“I know many squirrels, and none of us would want to put such a thing through the forest.”
“The humans don’t look at the forest the same as we do. They see it as something to go over, not with.” again the turtle’s answer was a riddle to the young squirrel. The trees were by far the best and fastest way to travel. Chakik felt bad for the humans, as he did for the turtle whom many times he tried to teach to climb a tree.
Running on trees is as natural to a squirrel as breathing. Chakik tried to get the turtle to climb one every time he found a wonderful tree. Every time the turtle had to remind the squirrel he could not. FastPile enjoyed the squirrel’s enthusiasm and persistance for this one thing. Nothing else seemed to stay in the squirrel’s mind longer than a few seconds. But, like clockwork, any oak tree they passed that was more than 20 years old, Chakik insisted the turtle try his climbing skills a new.
Being the patient turtle he was, and hoping this might be the last time, FastPile would diligently reach his thick arms up and flex his turtle toes into the bark of the tree. This always made Chakik squee with glee. Seeing the turtles move his toes as individuals, not just a foot to step on, brought on bouts of cheer from the squirrel.
“Thats it! You have to use each toe to find the right place!” Chakik ineffectively encouraged the patient turtle.
“Turtle toes do not work the same as a squirrel’s, my long tailed friend.” dutifully replied FastPile.
“Ok well, we can always try the next one, you just need to use your toes…” and off bounced the squirrel.
Often and repeatedly during the journey FastPile questioned the wisdom of his tutelage, but he knew what he had to do. This phase, would hopefully pass, and they might continue their journey in peace. But, without fail, every aged tree they passed, the squirrel offered his climbing suggestions. More often than not, the turtle simply plodded on, towards food and water, and towards their ultimate goal.
The Whale.