Raven & Turtle are truly the 'Odd Couple' if there ever were a mismatched pair, they are it. As friends, they find a mutual challenge in their discussions. Raven's keen eye & quick wing gives him a totally different perspective from the near-sighted Turtle, who must bring things up close & is methodical in his perspective. The subjects of their talks span from the edge of the known universe to the inner space of their spiritual walk. Although they will disagree, their relation is based on mutual respect of the other's prospectus.
For Example, Raven's activities led him to speak with a mathematician. Glowing with excitement Raven told Turtle of the conversation and would refer to statements made by the mathematician. Turtle winced when Raven uttered the mystic formula with the usual dialogue implying that there are four dimensions.
" I have often longed to be able to fly! " fumed Turtle as he remembered with great distress his feeble attempts. At first, he had pursued Raven to try to carry him aloft but it was a vain waste of time.
Raven held Turtle by his shell but could barely lift even tail off the ground. Raven could hardly keep from laughing as he flapped his wings furiously; only to spin poor Turtle around.
" You weigh to much " explained Raven " Maybe if you went on a diet, then I might be able to lift you."
Turtle by his shell alone weighed too much for Raven to lift.
They discussed it at great length but the only solution they could think of was to ask the 'Olde Wizard'.
Raven had made the suggestion, " Perhaps the wizard knows of a spell that would make you lighter then I could teach you to fly? " Turtle thought that it sounded like a good idea so he went off to seek the olde man. Besides, he liked the idea of being to fly himself rather than depend upon Raven. So Turtle set out to find 'the way' to make himself light so he could fly.
Finding the wizard was not hard but seeking advice from a wizard is full of peril,Turtle needed to have his wits about him when dealing with wizards.
Now, wizards are strange in their ways not always saying things of known meaning and the wizard's answered with just such an air. " Speaking of air, density and equal volume of mass " Turtle didn't have a clue as to what meaning of it to make? But He finally stated that he knew two spells that would make Turtle lighter.
The first had hot air involved but Turtle wasn't to be duped so easily into a soup. Turtle chose the later one as 'the best way' besides that Turtle would be filled with an Noble Vapor but the wizard had promised that it would be completely inert gas, which meant that it would not harm him.
Well, so it was that for as long as Turtle could hold his breath, he would be filled with Helium and made light as a feather! Turtle was known for being able to hold his breath for a long time!
So it was that he floated into the air and he would paddle with his legs and kind of swim through the air. Until Yum came around then Turtle had a terrible time.
He had spun around and around, then he began to circle around and the faster he spun, the further around he flew, until he thought he saw TakuSkanSkan and opened his mouth.
Where upon he flew off in all directions only the land on the ground, spinning around on his back and each time he tried to cry out for help. This squeaky high voice would come from his mouth, Raven laughed so hard he fell on the ground and rolled around, kicking his legs in the air.
quote:
Yum=> {Yom or Yumni} the fifth & youngest son (wind) of Tate. Derived from the Lakota Yumninni, whirlwind.
A funny cultural short story
http://allaboutfrogs.org/stories/well.html Inktomi, the Lakota trickster, who in the process of naming all things in the world thus fixing their identity in perpetuity, is himself amorphous, without specific appellation
Although many believe that Inktomi is so strange that he has no form, others believe that Inktomi's form is so strange that it is hard to perceive.
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