WHY THE HURRY?
"Hercules, you're not going to
believe it." Iolaus shouted in the
you're-going-to-scare-the-fishes voice he often chided Hercules not to
use.
His friend had just returned from a
trip to the woods for nature's interruption of a day of fishing.
Usually he was in a hurry to get back to his sprawled-on-the-bank
position to dangle his worm at whatever might have become hungry in his
absence.
"Believe what?" Hercules felt
he had to ask.
"What I saw on the edge of the
forest, right on the path."
"What did you see, Iolaus."
"It was this rabbit. A huge
rabbit. Hercules, he would look you in the eye. And his ears . .
. " Iolaus gestured large floppy ears extending above his head.
"He was standing up, leaning against a tree . . . eating a carrot .. .
and he talked."
"What did he say?" Hercules
asked with a doubting tone.
"Said something about "what's up
doc?" I just about slugged him. Thought he was coming on to
me, you know?" Iolaus giggled.
"You know what they say about those
rabbits . . . I hear they're even worse than you, Iolaus."
Iolaus laughed and took a bite of a
carrot he had in his hand.
"Turned out he was a nice guy. Even
gave me this." He waved the carrot around, took another bite and
chewed vigorously.
"I believe what you saw was a pouka,
an animal wood spirit that is often playful. They bond to certain
humans, but only those humans can see them. So they're not the best
things to cultivate as friends. Can get into a lot of trouble
talking to an invisible friend."
"That's what I told him. Told
him I already had a best friend." Iolaus glanced at Hercules with
a smile. He noticed Herc was quickly gathering up their things.
"Why the hurry?" Then he
laughed, as if it were the punch line to an untold joke. "That's
what he told me, Herc, seems he is in this race, but he is so damn fast
being a rabbit and all that he is content to sit back and watch the
world pass by. The prize will come in time. Sounds good, doesn't
it?"
"That Iolaus is exactly what I am
worried about. I know about that race and that's why we have to
get out of here, now."
"Why?"
"Because while your friend the rabbit
is out there leaning against the tree eating carrots, a giant turtle
will come slowly sauntering down the path and he'll be the one to claim
the prize. "
"And I thought I was the crazy one, I
guess you've had enough of the hot sun for today, big guy."
Iolaus gathered his stuff and was
about to start walking when he heard from a distance, a low melodious
voice singing "Some girls like to run around, Like to handle everything
they see."
"Let's get out of here, Herc, you
never told me the turtle could talk."
July 31, 2003