NOAH2

A M I S S I O N F O R M A J E S T Y

I was just a little fish at the time but I remember everything clearly. It started with the big drought . . .

"Oh dear, oh dear, whatever will we do?" asked my mamma as she swam in nervous circles in our comfortable conch shell home at the bottom of the pond.

"What is it dear?" questioned my calm father.

"Oh, I was talking to Mr. Charles Crow this morning and he says that there hasn't been a drop of rain in two weeks!" she exclaimed.

"Well, I knew that," I piped.

"Yes, but he says it is what the human beings call a drought. And without water our dear little pond will dry up. And we will have to evolve or die! Frankly, I'm not ready to do either!"

"Now, now dear, I'm sure everything will be all right," consoled my father.

But everything was not all right. Three more weeks went by and there was not a drop of rain. The water in the little pond was growing lower and lower.

Mother was in hysterics.

"I don't want to evolve. I don't want to die. Oh, woe is me."

And she went on and on.

"There, there, dear I'm sure everything will be all right," consoled my father.

And lo and behold everything was all right. Sort of.

One day me and Mama were at the surface talking to Mr. Charles Crow when I felt something land on my gills. I thought it was a bug so I tried to wipe it off with my fin.

By this time Mr. Crow was hollering about something so I looked up to see what it was.

"Rain. Rain," he shouted.

"Thank goodness," said Mama.

"Well I'll be . . . ," said my father who had joined us.

"Yippee," I hollered.

Ten days later Mama sent me up to see if the rain had stopped. It seemed a longer way up to the surface than usual and the pond looked wider than usual. I decided to explore. As I was swimming along I bumped into . . . a tree! I had seen them from a distance from the water before but never this close and never underwater! What was going on? Then I remembered my mission. I swam up to the surface and saw Mr. Charley Crow. It was still raining, not very hard but enough to make Charley be waterlogged.

"Charley, what happened? Why is the water up so high? Where have all the animals that live on land gone?" I sputtered.

"They've gone on a big boat two by two. That's where I'm headed.

"Mother, Mother," I cried, bursting into the can. "You'll never guess. It's still raining, and there's a big flood over everything, and all the land animals have gone on a big boat two by two."

"Mercy child, calm down. Are you pulling my fin?"

"No, no, Mother. It's true. Come see for yourself."

"All right. All right. Let me get my apron off."

When we got to the surface, boy were we surprised! The rain had stopped, the sun was out and there was a huge boat in the water right in front of us! On that boat were tons of animals! On top of the elephant there was a hawk strutting around as if he were King of the Boat. (I couldn't say world because at the moment as far as I knew there wasn't one!)

Well anyway,, this hawk was being so loud I could hear him. He said, "As you know I have been commanded by Noah to go on a dangerous journey, a journey which I might come back from, and a journey I might not come back from! This journey is to find land so we may be saved! (A couple of the female birds actually fainted at this point.)

"So goodbye, my dear friends. Before I go I will blow my kiss over all of you so you will be safe! (More females fainted - even the hippo who unfortunately fainted on a monkey's tail causing the giraffe to snicker.)

Days went by and no word from Mr. Bird. (I learned later his name was Sidney.) Finally Noah gave up hope and sent another bird. An osprey named Gerronimo. He never came back either.

Then one day my mother and I heard great goings-on on the ship. Another bird, Noah's own pet dove, Majesty, was to be sent off to look for land. By this time food was running low and all the animals hated each other. (Especially Mrs. Hippopotamus and that monkey.)

So the dove was being sent off, because she was the only bird left brave enough to go.

Everyone cheered and clapped as she prepared to take off but she held up her wing for silence.

"Please," she said in a soft fluttery voice. "I do not want all this. Let me take off in quiet, then you can clap."

She got her wish and took off.

GO, MAJESTY !

A week later there was no word from her and Noah was preparing to send another bird, but then that Sunday when he woke up and looked outside, there was the most beautiful rainbow ever. And who was sliding down it but his own little dove, Majesty.

She came sailing onto his shoulder and dropped something in his hand.

I jumped out of the water to see what it was. It was an olive leaf! Everyone on board was cheering and shouting. (Even the monkey and the hippopotamus made up.) Everyone was happy including me. That was the most beautiful thing I had ever seen. A boat full of cheering, happy people and a rainbow shining brightly in the background!