Octopus, A Fable from The Child and The Prophet

The Child felt thumps on the bottom of the Lily Pad.

That couldn’t be Mr. Whale.

She peeked out over the rim of Lily Pad and her eyeballs enlarged; her eyebrows stretched almost to her hairline, and she shrieked.

“Go away, leave me alone!”

The animal thumped again, hitting all eight legs on the underside of Lily Pad.

“Leave me be,” The Child cried. 

Octavio

“Prophet, there’s a Cephalopod under my Lily Pad.”

Only stillness greeted her. 

What shall I do? Mr. Whale and Mr. Eagle have abandoned me and The Prophet has become incorporeal.

“Help!”

“I’m not going to hurt you,” the eight-legged animal said as he came alongside Lily Pad.

“Who are you?”

“Octavio. Who are you?”

“I’m The Child.”

“Pleased to meet you The Child. What are you doing out here on the ocean by yourself, may I ask?”

“I wasn’t by myself. I mean Mr. Whale and Mr. Eagle deserted me.”

“Oh, and you have no one?”

“Well, I’m not really alone. The Prophet is here somewhere, only I can’t see him because he’s incorporeal.”

Octavio laughed.

“You know The Prophet?”

“Child, everyone knows The Prophet.”

The Child

“I only wanted to go to the house across the sea to get something, and he told me he would show me the way.”

 “That sounds like The Prophet. He always chooses the best routes for people that he has big plans for,” Octavio said breaking out in laughter.

“I don’t think it’s funny.”

“I’m not laughing at you, Child.”

“I wish The Prophet would return.”

“Shall I accompany you part of the way?”

“Will you eat with me?”

“Of course, and I’ll bring up some squibs and tasty seaweed from the ocean floor.”


Shalom Aleichem,

Pat Garcia