The source of the life

Jo 4,5 -15.19b -26.39a.40-42-brief

Author: Cecília Pellegrini

The Alligator liked so much taking baths daily in the ponds of the Brazilian Swampland, that his singing was heard in the distance, while he scrubbed his body: - "Good-bye laziness, good-bye dirt, good-bye bodily odor. He washes, washes, he washes an ear, washes the other ear. He washes, washes..." 

The Tuiuiu bird was flying slowly, when she sees the scene and it decides to go down to talk with her friend: - Good morning alligator!

The embarrassed Alligator caught a fallen leaf in the ground, covered his body and cried: - Hey, Tuiuiú, one has to knock before entering... 

Tuiuiú turns her back to the Alligator to put a bathrobe: - Do excuse me, but to knock at where? Everything is nature, without doors, nor padlocks! Moreover, us animals live here at the Swampland, isn’t it? 

The alligator sings lively: - "This biome is ours, uuu, aaa! This biome is ours, uuu, aaa! Only ours! Only ours, uuu, aaa! Here is a lot of abundance, but in the desert, it is lonely dryness... Uuu, aaa."

Tuiuiú bothered for not being face to face with her friend questions: - And did friend Alligator, finish his bath there already? Can I turn around?

Then... Good morning with happiness! The Alligator was bothered with so much happiness: - But do you wake up early and is it already happy?

The bird explains: - Clearly, I am happy because I am learning so much in this Fraternity Campaign! We have to take care of the environment. However, will all that can take care of the water, of the earth, of the air, of the animals and plants of our Common House, which is the Earth, do it? 

The Alligator, wanting to show his knowledge, talks like a teacher: - Stop! Enough of your talking, I know more than all the other animals together. This year the 2017 Fraternity Campaign is about the six Brazilian biomes, that are Amazon Rain Forest, Savanna, Cerrado, Atlantic Forest, Pampa and the... Tcham, tcham, tcham... Swampland!

Tuiuiú agrees: - Yes! We have to reflect to cultivate and to keep all creation. Do you know, Alligator, I was born and grew up here at the Mato Grosso Swampland. There are 250 thousand km², almost 2% of the Brazilian territory. What a blessed Land!

While the bird spoke, he went flying and showing all the marvels that it mentioned.

The jealous Alligator says for a turtle that was passing by: - See what that Tuiuiú think she is! An exhibitionist! Just because it is the symbol of the Swampland! I do not know why that Jaburu was chosen. Did you know that Jaburu is the other name that they give for that little bird? Dear turtle, say frankly, don't you find the Alligator the most charming? Why didn't they choose me...

The Turtle patiently explains: - My friend, the most important is that all of us are blessed for living in this wonderful area, considered by UNESCO as World Natural Heritage and a Biosphere Reserve. Moreover, we have to live united, in peace, taking care of this beautiful environment. 

The Alligator whispers: - Besides the infatuated Jaburu, now comes a silly turtle. 

Soon afterwards, he raises the volume of the voice to be heard by all of the animals: - Now, before eating my breakfast I will make my morning prayer He kneels down and makes exaggerating gestures, speaking as if he was preaching: - Thank you, thank you very much, Mother Nature. I believe in Your infinite kindness and I know that You will give me now, immediately, everything that I deserve. 

He looks at the sky and closes the prayer: - Hey, won't you please disappoint me. Amen! 

He gets up quick and says: - Hey Jaburu, Tuiuiú and Lady Turtle, I am going to the other pond to eat and do not come behind me, because I will not share anything with you.

Moreover, there goes the Alligator to satiate his hunger. While the Turtle washed her skull, Tuiuiú decided to fly around. The wind was so pleasant that when the bird noticed she was already above a desert area.

Suddenly, she heard a groan... It was a scorpion crawling, moaning in the immensity of the sand: - Water, water... I need water...

Tuiuiú sees the arachnid in the distance and sees that he was almost dying. The bird begins to sweep her wings heavily and returns to the Swampland to get some water. He tells everything to Lady Turtle that, also pitied, lends her skull for him to take water abundantly.

She flew faster to meet Scorpio and puts water in his mouth: - Ready, drink!

Scorpio begins to feel better: - Thank you! However, fly fast to the Swampland before you start to suffer like me...

The Bird answers: - I cannot leave you here suffering! Let us go, seat in my backs and I will take you to the Swampland, where everything is life! 

Therefore, the two flew towards the abundance and as soon as they arrived, the Turtle dressed her skull again.

The Alligator arrives all lively, singing: - I ate like a monk, now I have a potbelly... I ate like a monk, now I have a potbelly... 

When he sees the scene, he gets angry: - But what am I seeing? Leave the Swampland now, Scorpio of the desert! There is your place! Leave, leave...

Tuiuiú tries to touch him: - Alligator, the desert lacks everything: vegetation, water, if he returns he will die.

Scorpio, very sad, complements: - Yes, almost all the animals there already died... In addition, do you know that there was as much life there as here in the Swampland…

The Alligator shouts: - Get out of here, your lying scorpion! How can such a beautiful and plentiful place as the Swampland could be without anything, as the desert is?

Lady Turtle explains: - Of course it can, when Nature is not respected, when she is over exploited everything comes to an end.

Scorpio speaks crying: - And the destruction brings hunger, suffering and death.

Tuiuiú and the Turtle try to console him: - Do not regret friend, we are here to help you, right, Alligator?

Alligator pulls Tuiuiú and the Turtle to a corner: - did the sun of the desert melt your brains? Animals of the Swampland do not mix with those scums of the desert.

Tuiuiú reasons: - But we know that it doesn't help to just pray, to just say that love it and worship Mother Nature if we don't dedicate our own life to the good of the other ones. 

Scorpio, already well, not wanting to causes trouble says good-bye: - Thank you very much for the help, but you do not need to get in trouble because of me, I will leave. Very sad he is leaving towards the desert.

The Bird and the Turtle implore - Alligator, be kind! 

The Alligator moved with the request of his friends questions: - Do you think that we should help Scorpio? But, why?

The friends answer: - Because he is also son of Mother Nature. He is our brother!

For some minutes, the three talk about the need to be solidary with those that suffer and in the end the Alligator says: - That is it, you are right! 

And he screams: - Hey, brother Scorpio, wait for me there! 

The Alligator runs to his encounter and it extends him his paw, saying: - You and all the other animals of the desert can live here with us!

Scorpio could not believe in so much happiness: - True? Thank you!

After that, day after day, they transported and they helped all the animals that were suffering at the desert.

After the mission, with all properly settled, the Alligator says: - Now I understood why they chose Tuiuiú as symbol of the abundant life here in the Swampland. She taught me that it it is not only by praying or saying so that we love Mother Nature. It is necessary to show that whole love with concrete gestures. 

The Bird says that this is to be in the right road! 

Suddenly Lady Turtle have a brilliant idea: - What if we join ourselves to the other five Brazilian biomes to bring life to the desert?

All praised the wonderful idea! 

The scorpion asks: - Does it mean that together we will transform the nothing in everything? 

The euphoric Alligator answers: Yes, yes, yes, yes! Let us get together, to work, to immerse ourselves... I feel a great transformation inside of my heart! It feels like an opened-up dam that now wants to gush.

Tuiuiú explains: - That happens when we live with love, kindness, forgiveness and sharing! 

All agree that this is the source of life!