The Whistle and the Timepiece

     Once upon a time, when the Earth began, the Creator bestowed special gifts upon the world. He wanted the Mother to create the landscape with beauty and sustenance, so He gave her a whistle to create the much needed movement upon the winds and the waters. He wanted the Father to keep watch over time, to cradle the precious moments in his hands, so He gave him a timepiece to cherish all that passes.

     The Mother and Father graciously accepted these gifts and their respective responsibilities. The Mother tied back her long tendrils, careful not to disturb the leaves and sticks nestled within, to attend her duties. She took up the whistle and blew across the mouthpiece sending the winds in motion. Seeds flew from her mouth and out the end of the whistle to be caught in the wind and whisked to all corners of the Earth. Soon the lands were covered in trees, bushes, berries, flowers, fruits, nuts, grasses, and all that cloaks the world with beauty. Once the Mother was pleased with her creation, she turned to the oceans and again blew into the mouthpiece of her whistle across the surface of waters. She was in awe as she watched the wind slide across the waters, pulling it to and fro, into a calm rhythmic motion. The water slinked up the shore and curled around her ankles, leaving her feet a blue iridescent shade as the waters rolled back to the ocean. The Mother wiggled her toes, pleased to see what she had done.

     “What a splendid beauty, Mother,” the Father spoke as he caressed his long white beard over and over again. He rotated the timepiece in his palm, looking over all the intricate details etched upon the metal.