Stories and News No. 956
Hundreds of whales died during the night on the New Zealand’s shores after a mass stranding considered the largest in decades.
The news is now viral around the world, images are everywhere and so the participation for the tragedy, while the staff of the Department of Conservation and about 500 volunteers are focused on how to save the survived whales until the next high tide.
However, as always, not all react to the news the same way...
At night, in a crowded room, somewhere in Africa...
"Guys, I have a dream for you," says Babatunde,
only five years old, but a lot of crazy ideas, rarely liked by his brothers.
"Another one?" asks with sarcasm one of them, the closest among those who try to fall asleep. "Do you never get tired?"
"This time is a good one."
"So the last time," says another kid. "Then, fortunately, you did understand that building a submarine is science fiction."
"No, this time it's all natural."
"Let him speak," says the oldest brother, "otherwise we won’t sleep tonight."
"Thanks bro."
"Don’t thank me, and hurry up, I want to sleep."
"You know the whales?"
"What? A quiz?" says the one obsessed with riddles. "Come on, I like it."
"It is not a quiz..."
"Let him reach the end, please?" screams the first-born.
"Maybe this time it's a good idea…" speaks the only sister.
"Thank you!"
"Don’t thank me," she says. "I am optimist by nature."
"Okay, I see."
"Don’t see: tell!" orders the primogenital.
"I said... I mean, I was wondering if you remember the whales and let’s assume so."
"Whales or whale sharks?" demands the most meticulous brother. "They’re not the same thing..."
"Do we have genius, here?" cries the eldest brother risking to lose control. "If he wanted to talk about the whale sharks he would say whale sharks, right?"
"So right, thank you... and I understand, I should not thank you."
"Good, let’s finish this."
"Well, I recently knew that when the whales reach the coasts of pink men – even in those lands children used to identify colors more accurately than adults - instead of leaving them to die or even comment on the tragedy with hatred and indifference, they come so many to rescue and help to survive them and everyone is supportive and compassionate."
"What is the dream?" asks the little sister.
"Simple. Tomorrow morning we dive and we let a whale eats us. So we expect to arrive on a more fortunate beach than ours and while the inhabitants are all trying to save it we covertly get out from its... "
"From its?" they ask in chorus.
"From its ears, what did you think?"
"Since when did the whales have ears?" inquires the nearest brother.
"They must have it," replies his sister. "Otherwise, how can they listen to when they sing?"
"Ears or no ears, whales do not eat children," reports the oldest kid. "This dream is stupid."
"But the sea does", replies the young dreamer.
A deep and conscious silence follows the bitter response.
The brothers strive so not to give in to sadness and everyone tries to sleep using the best weapon they have, which is a flaky and irresponsible strange form of imagination.
So, that night, some children sailed from Africa half hammerhead and half dolphin, very fast and capable of breaking every wall.
Octopus children, able to grab all the gifts in the world forgotten in the sea.
Jellyfish children, beautiful and stinging, which no one can hurt.
Light children as the same water of the waves, which may touch the shore everywhere, and no one can prevent it.
Indeed, many will be there to admire them.
Because it would be just another of the endless, wonderful and fragile gifts of nature…
Read more stories of immigrants
Buy my latest book Elisa and the wonderful world of objects
Listen my song Wolves
Watch my last storytelling show with English subtitles It's amazing what a little light can do
Storytelling videos with subtitles
Hundreds of whales died during the night on the New Zealand’s shores after a mass stranding considered the largest in decades.
The news is now viral around the world, images are everywhere and so the participation for the tragedy, while the staff of the Department of Conservation and about 500 volunteers are focused on how to save the survived whales until the next high tide.
However, as always, not all react to the news the same way...
At night, in a crowded room, somewhere in Africa...
"Guys, I have a dream for you," says Babatunde,
"Another one?" asks with sarcasm one of them, the closest among those who try to fall asleep. "Do you never get tired?"
"This time is a good one."
"So the last time," says another kid. "Then, fortunately, you did understand that building a submarine is science fiction."
"No, this time it's all natural."
"Let him speak," says the oldest brother, "otherwise we won’t sleep tonight."
"Thanks bro."
"Don’t thank me, and hurry up, I want to sleep."
"You know the whales?"
"What? A quiz?" says the one obsessed with riddles. "Come on, I like it."
"It is not a quiz..."
"Let him reach the end, please?" screams the first-born.
"Maybe this time it's a good idea…" speaks the only sister.
"Thank you!"
"Don’t thank me," she says. "I am optimist by nature."
"Okay, I see."
"Don’t see: tell!" orders the primogenital.
"I said... I mean, I was wondering if you remember the whales and let’s assume so."
"Whales or whale sharks?" demands the most meticulous brother. "They’re not the same thing..."
"Do we have genius, here?" cries the eldest brother risking to lose control. "If he wanted to talk about the whale sharks he would say whale sharks, right?"
"So right, thank you... and I understand, I should not thank you."
"Good, let’s finish this."
"Well, I recently knew that when the whales reach the coasts of pink men – even in those lands children used to identify colors more accurately than adults - instead of leaving them to die or even comment on the tragedy with hatred and indifference, they come so many to rescue and help to survive them and everyone is supportive and compassionate."
"What is the dream?" asks the little sister.
"Simple. Tomorrow morning we dive and we let a whale eats us. So we expect to arrive on a more fortunate beach than ours and while the inhabitants are all trying to save it we covertly get out from its... "
"From its?" they ask in chorus.
"From its ears, what did you think?"
"Since when did the whales have ears?" inquires the nearest brother.
"They must have it," replies his sister. "Otherwise, how can they listen to when they sing?"
"Ears or no ears, whales do not eat children," reports the oldest kid. "This dream is stupid."
"But the sea does", replies the young dreamer.
A deep and conscious silence follows the bitter response.
The brothers strive so not to give in to sadness and everyone tries to sleep using the best weapon they have, which is a flaky and irresponsible strange form of imagination.
So, that night, some children sailed from Africa half hammerhead and half dolphin, very fast and capable of breaking every wall.
Octopus children, able to grab all the gifts in the world forgotten in the sea.
Jellyfish children, beautiful and stinging, which no one can hurt.
Light children as the same water of the waves, which may touch the shore everywhere, and no one can prevent it.
Indeed, many will be there to admire them.
Because it would be just another of the endless, wonderful and fragile gifts of nature…
Read more stories of immigrants
Buy my latest book Elisa and the wonderful world of objects
Listen my song Wolves
Watch my last storytelling show with English subtitles It's amazing what a little light can do
Storytelling videos with subtitles