Singing Land
"Why are we meeting him? He's an old codger who doesn't know anything," the wolf cub said to his mother, as they walked beneath the maple trees leading to the hidden forest clearing on this moonlit night.
"He is a coyote of great wisdom who has seen much in his years. He has seen the encroachment and usury of our territory by the human," the mother said to its cub. Indeed, Coyote was the oldest and wisest of all the animals in the forest- he had eluded the human hunters many times not out of thrill-seeking but of their travels into what was once his territory. He had been retreaing as had all the animals on account of the human usurpers with their guns and axes and buldings. Coyote's reputation amongst the animals was that of a king and in his territory that's what he was. Deer and Fox and Raven and Vulture all respected him most of all and would come to him for answers as he was as the Wolf had said, one of great wisdom. Coyote was skilled in philosophy and medicine as he had a lifetime in experience in both trades- for their physical ailments, Coyote knew which berries, herbs, and grasses would bring healing to his hurting brethren. And his keen intellect could solve any problem or dispute the animals brought forth to him- in fact, they had turned to simply testing his wits rather than serious problems they were experiencing years ago.
And so the young wolf cub and his mother walked to the forest clearing, deep where no human could ever dream of finding, were all the animals had gathered to hear the words of this sage and king of the wilderness. At last, his old and wizened frame reached the top of the rocks in this clearing, which formed what we humans would call a "podium". ANd he began to speak.
"In my days, I have seen much. I have seen the sky catch fire as the sun rises over the horizon and again as the sun sets. My fathers were kings of this forest and I have inherited their title as long as the stars still shine in the night sky." At this all nodded in silent agreement- only a fool amongst the animals would ever question Coyote's authority or right to rule the wilderness. Many would in fact surrender their lives to save Coyote and his sons.
"Gentle children of the forest, you have come and gathered close to me tonight. For that the both of us should be honored. I know that you have come to me with questions great and difficult concerning the human, that despised and loathed creature who kills with reckless abandon. In times past, the human would live in peace with us, killing only when he needed what only we could provide. But the old humans were destroyed by the new ones- the new ones are wasteful and kill for only a momentary thrill, thus violating the law of the forest. Yet there is still hope for them." This was not what the crowd had anticipated at all but again, they did not question the Coyote's integrity or wisdom. If he had seen something in the human that suggested he was not a hopeless case in respecting the animals, then there must be indeed be hope.
"They have yet to realize that this place is the Singing Land- an ancient and sacred place which will shine on until the end of time. How can you not sense it when you're in the Singing Land- especially here, of all places? I am an elderly one and my time in the forest will soon come to an end. We are all residents of the Singing Land, we partake of its fruits and drink its water- yet we are also strangers of it, the more we think we know of it, the more mysterious and sacred it becomes. The notes and chords and melodies of the Singing Land are familiar to us yet they are also are unknown and cannot, even with a lifetime of experiences, ever be known." The animals had never thought this way before- their homes, secluded from the humans were sacred places? How could this be, one asked Coyote?
"Consider Butterfly", Coyote said turning his head to the beautiful winged creature, causing her to blush. "She is no doubt very beautiful with her garb of blue and green but at one time, she was an ugly caterpillar. But she dreamed of becoming something beautiful, dreaming of a new life. And that is how it must be for us. Think of the beautiful things in life, think of the things that surround you- the beautiful river running swiftly down its banks after the storm, the sun rising and shedding the light of a new day over your homes, the cycle of life that has brought us all to this point. Think of the time your spirit was called into being and the beauty of birth. Think of the time your spirit will be called back to the earth and the beauty of a peaceful death. Think of the spirits of the earth- the trees, the rocks, the wind as your fallen brothers and sisters. Think of these things in such a manner and you will not want to destroy them - for these make up the cycle of life that made us all, and is the rhythm of the Singing Land". After a pause for Coyote to catch his breath (during which all of the attendees stood dumbfounded at his wisdom), he continued. Obviously, this speech was taking everything out of him.
"And in a future age, one in which we have all passed on, the human will gain a respect for the Singing Land as well, its verses reflected on the songs of the birds, the crashing of the waves, the howls of my grandchildren, the thunder of the storms. Someday, they will realize this and they will visit the Singing Land with hearts full of respect and goodwill for it and all of its citizens. This is my dream for the future. The sun will soon rise over us again but not for me, for this is my final speech. I will die very soon, called back to become one with the forest I so loved. Remember this 'ere I leave- the land is our wisdom, it will shine us through the darkest night, it will feed our children. You cannot own the land, the land owns you. That is the lesson of the Singing Land", Coyote said.
Immediately after saying this, he slumped over and collapsed, dead after a life well-lived. The sun rose and its beams shone bright on his dead yet serene-looking body. The animals would keep Coyote's lecture in their hearts forever and it would be repeated by their children so they would never forget those passionate words. They would soon designate a new king but they would always remember Coyote, a being of pure compassion, wisdom, strength, and understanding. He was in their belief, the wind howling through the trees at night, imitating his cry. For as Coyote himself had told them, they were indeed living in the Singing Land.