The Myth of the Heron and the Hummingbird.
Heron and the Hummingbird
(Hitchiti Tribe)
retold by
S. E. Schlosser
Heron and Hummingbird were very good friends, even though one was tall and gangly and awkward and one was small and sleek and fast. They both loved to eat fish. The Hummingbird preferred small fish like minnows and Heron liked the large ones.
One day, Hummingbird said to his friend: "I am not sure there are enough fish in the world for both of our kind to eat. Why don't we have a race to see which of us should own the fish?"
Heron thought that was a very good idea. They decided that they would race for four days. The finish line was an old dead tree next to a far-away river. Whichever of them sat on top of the tree first on the fourth day of the race would own all the fish in the world.
They started out the next morning. The Hummingbird zipped along, flying around and around the Heron, who was moving steadily forward, flapping his giant wings. Then Hummingbird would be distracted by the pretty flowers along the way. He would flit from one to the other, tasting the nectar. When Hummingbird noticed that Heron was ahead of him, he hurried to catch up with him, zooming ahead as fast as he could, and leaving Heron far behind. Heron just kept flying steadily forward, flapping his giant wings.
Hummingbird was tired from all his flitting. When it got dark, he decided to rest. He found a nice spot to perch and slept all night long. But Heron just kept flying steadily forward all night long, flapping his giant wings.
When Hummingbird woke in the morning, Heron was far ahead. Hummingbird had to fly as fast as he could to catch up. He zoomed past the big, awkward Heron and kept going until Heron had disappeared behind him. Then Hummingbird noticed some pretty flowers nearby. He zip-zipped over to them and tasted their nectar. He was enjoying the pretty scenery and didn't notice Heron flap-flapping passed him with his great wings.
Hummingbird finally remembered that he was racing with Heron, and flew as fast as he could to catch up with the big, awkward bird. Then he zipped along, flying around and around the Heron, who kept moving steadily forward, flapping his giant wings.
For two more days, the Hummingbird and the Heron raced toward the far-distant riverbank with the dead tree that was the finish line. Hummingbird had a marvelous time sipping nectar and flitting among the flowers and resting himself at night. Heron stoically kept up a steady flap-flap-flapping of his giant wings, propelling himself forward through the air all day and all night.
Hummingbird woke from his sleep the morning of the fourth day, refreshed and invigorated. He flew zip-zip toward the riverbank with its dead tree. When it came into view, he saw Heron perched at the top of the tree! Heron had won the race by flying straight and steady through the night while Hummingbird slept.
So from that day forward, the Heron has owned all the fish in the rivers and lakes, and the Hummingbird has sipped from the nectar of the many flowers which he enjoyed so much during the race.
Here I go again posting things that have nothing to do with the Haynesville Shale. Maybe, maybe not. I read this and just loved the ending. The Heron won but the Hummingbird didn’t lose. While learning all that I can from GHS, I’ve enjoyed the nectar along the way. I hope the friendships last a lifetime. I know that if nothing else the inspiration will. I truly hope that for all the battles that may seem lost that each of us get to enjoy the nectar we tasted while running the race.
(Hitchiti Tribe)
retold by
S. E. Schlosser
Heron and Hummingbird were very good friends, even though one was tall and gangly and awkward and one was small and sleek and fast. They both loved to eat fish. The Hummingbird preferred small fish like minnows and Heron liked the large ones.
One day, Hummingbird said to his friend: "I am not sure there are enough fish in the world for both of our kind to eat. Why don't we have a race to see which of us should own the fish?"
Heron thought that was a very good idea. They decided that they would race for four days. The finish line was an old dead tree next to a far-away river. Whichever of them sat on top of the tree first on the fourth day of the race would own all the fish in the world.
They started out the next morning. The Hummingbird zipped along, flying around and around the Heron, who was moving steadily forward, flapping his giant wings. Then Hummingbird would be distracted by the pretty flowers along the way. He would flit from one to the other, tasting the nectar. When Hummingbird noticed that Heron was ahead of him, he hurried to catch up with him, zooming ahead as fast as he could, and leaving Heron far behind. Heron just kept flying steadily forward, flapping his giant wings.
Hummingbird was tired from all his flitting. When it got dark, he decided to rest. He found a nice spot to perch and slept all night long. But Heron just kept flying steadily forward all night long, flapping his giant wings.
When Hummingbird woke in the morning, Heron was far ahead. Hummingbird had to fly as fast as he could to catch up. He zoomed past the big, awkward Heron and kept going until Heron had disappeared behind him. Then Hummingbird noticed some pretty flowers nearby. He zip-zipped over to them and tasted their nectar. He was enjoying the pretty scenery and didn't notice Heron flap-flapping passed him with his great wings.
Hummingbird finally remembered that he was racing with Heron, and flew as fast as he could to catch up with the big, awkward bird. Then he zipped along, flying around and around the Heron, who kept moving steadily forward, flapping his giant wings.
For two more days, the Hummingbird and the Heron raced toward the far-distant riverbank with the dead tree that was the finish line. Hummingbird had a marvelous time sipping nectar and flitting among the flowers and resting himself at night. Heron stoically kept up a steady flap-flap-flapping of his giant wings, propelling himself forward through the air all day and all night.
Hummingbird woke from his sleep the morning of the fourth day, refreshed and invigorated. He flew zip-zip toward the riverbank with its dead tree. When it came into view, he saw Heron perched at the top of the tree! Heron had won the race by flying straight and steady through the night while Hummingbird slept.
So from that day forward, the Heron has owned all the fish in the rivers and lakes, and the Hummingbird has sipped from the nectar of the many flowers which he enjoyed so much during the race.
Here I go again posting things that have nothing to do with the Haynesville Shale. Maybe, maybe not. I read this and just loved the ending. The Heron won but the Hummingbird didn’t lose. While learning all that I can from GHS, I’ve enjoyed the nectar along the way. I hope the friendships last a lifetime. I know that if nothing else the inspiration will. I truly hope that for all the battles that may seem lost that each of us get to enjoy the nectar we tasted while running the race.
Views: 103
Add a Comment
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Comment by Antsu-in-Japan on March 22, 2009 at 14:20
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Thanks, Parker...for coming out of your shell and sharing so much richness with us. Glad to call you a friend. Stay vocal...
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Comment by Two Dogs, Pirate on March 22, 2009 at 14:02 -
Cat, you are younger than me but I am Peter Pan.
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Comment by Cathaus on March 22, 2009 at 13:58
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Two Dogs,
I think you and I are hummingbirds of a feather! Who wants to only go where others have trod? I like to look down and see only my footprints! To bravely go where no man has gone before. Mundane just can't cut it for me! SuziQ, I will soon be a dyslexic 75!!!
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Comment by Two Dogs, Pirate on March 22, 2009 at 12:23
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I am a hummingbird (ADHD) and I wouldn't want to go back and change too much of the wording in my lifes story. Cat, I to go into unchartered territory, every day and love every minute of it, good and bad. Hell, I get paid to do it. SuziQ, I am with you, and congrats for hitting 75, all the fish in the sea is not important to me and the hummingbird is a damn site better looking than a heron, hope you live to at least 105. Parker thanks for the story, you think Aesop may have used this story for the Tortoise and the Hare.
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Comment by Cathaus on March 22, 2009 at 11:55
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SuziQ,
I am also a hummingbird! I have seen the most wonderful things and met the most interesting people on my little jaunts into unchartered territory and out of the way places. Unfortunately, I also eat like a hummingbird, all day long!!
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Comment by SuziQ on March 22, 2009 at 11:23
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I've always been a hummingbird and always will be. Owning all the fish in the world is unimportant to me. So as the parable says "They are both winners" I'll be 75 in August and would NOT trade my life and my memories. I've loved the sweet nectar and the many side adventures. A hummingbird is a hummingbird and a heron is a heron--and there is room for both of us in this universe. We win when we are true to our nature and do not envy the other.
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Comment by Cathaus on March 22, 2009 at 11:01
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I heard this parable as a mere child. It was told to me by my great aunt. She was 1/2 Cherokee and learned the story of the heron and the hummingbird from her grandfather. The moral of the story is slow and steady wins the race. We are all winners for knowing you, sweet lady.
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Comment by Pat Jack on March 22, 2009 at 10:52
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Boone Pickens is the hummingbird, the 200,000 members of Pickens Plan are the fish, (who get eaten regardless of the outcome of the race), and the Heron is the will of the focused masses, nearly 2,000,000 - (claimed) - members of the Pickens Plan.
Or at least that's how I see it.
The flowers are Gore, Clinton, Pelosi, Harry Reid, the lobbyists and all those rich fat cats at the Energy Summit meeting.
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Comment by Skip Peel - Mineral Consultant on March 22, 2009 at 10:16
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Thanks, parker. An appropriate parable. Jim you deserve a serendipitous respite. You have been a busy guy the last few days. And I can certainly relate to the "no good deed goes unpunished" quip. You are the Heron.
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Comment by lanadan Ds3 on March 22, 2009 at 0:07
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Thanks Parker!
But the way I heard it, the heron was actually the UMO who was not distracted by the small, flashy flowers (er, perhaps petty lease offers that really had no substance nor lasting sustenance in them) thus being able to keep a steady pace and his eyes "on the prize". And the hummingbird? Well, that "bird" was -- was -- hmmmm.
Always a story within the story.
Got any more?
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