An Island Tale

Just a little east of the western Atlantic there’s an island so tiny that it is missed by most seafaring traffic. Its name is Tipoti. On Tipoti there lived a blue Muu-gar. This blue Muu-gar was cooperative, warm, friendly, a good citizen in the society of Muu-gars.

The blue Muu-gar moved to a new home and was seeking a new friend or two. However, it was a more isolated section of the island. The blue Muu-gar was sad at not finding friends easily. Then one day, while walking home by way of the Kazai forest, the blue Muu-gar saw what looked like – could it be – why, yes! It was another Muu-gar. This one was red, or so it appeared. It seemed a bit unclear. But that did not stop the blue Muu-gar from hurrying over to greet this new friend.

As the blue Muu-gar drew closer it was evident – this Muu-gar was indeed red. The blue Muu-gar had encountered only a couple of red Muu-gars but had found them great company. This red Muu-gar was turned away from the path, reclining comfortably. “How great it will be to meet and great this new companion. What fun we’ll have together. What stories will the red Muu-gar have to tell? What – WHAT?”

The blue Muu-gar was stopped cold – literally. For between the blue Muu-gar and the red Muu-gar was a huge block of ice. The red Muu-gar could be seen through the clear, frozen barrier. “This can’t be,” thought the blue Muu-gar. “I’ve searched all over for a new friend and now this….”

The blue Muu-gar reached out in frustration and struck the ice block with a fuzzy paw. And just as quickly the blue Muu-gar howled in pain. The block was cold and large and very hard. The blue Muu-gar looked around for something that could be swung to break the barrier. But all that was available were the delicate branches of the Kazai trees, long and soft. The blue Muu-gar sat down angry, sad, and annoyed by this turn of events.

“I can’t break it or hit it. I can’t move it. I wish I could just melt it away with something warm……” The idea came immediately. The blue Muu-gar pondered the possibilities. Suddenly the warm blue fur of the Muu-gar was attached to the ice. At least for a few moments. The sting of the cold was hard to take and the blue Muu-gar pulled away. The block was so cold that even a few moments attached to it was hard on the blue Muu-gar’s body. But the wet fur meant that some melting had taken place. “The only way to melt down the ice that blocks me from my red Muu-gar friend is to melt it with my warmth.”

So the blue Muu-gar began to alternate: front side to the ice, rest break, back side to the ice, rest break. Over and over and over the blue Muu-gar continued the quest to melt the block of ice. Day after day, the blue Muu-gar risked the burns and cold of the icy barrier to melt just a little more away. There was constant pain and soggy fur, but he blue Muu-gar continued the quest to melt the ice between blue and red.

Then one day, as lunchtime approached, the tired and sore blue Muu-gar saw the results of the hard work. A section of the ice block had broken through. Lunch was quickly forgotten as the blue Muu-gar worked to melt the remaining portions of the depleted ice block. By mid-afternoon, the work was done. The ice block had been conquered! Weeks of painful effort and tiring work had melted the block. The blue Muu-gar, exhausted but joyful, approached the red Muu-gar who seemed oblivious to what had taken place.

“Hello, red Muu-gar.” The sudden words of the blue Muu-gar startled the red Muu-gar from sleep.

“What….where…who are you?!” asked the red Muu-gar with disdain and surprise.

“I am your new neighbor. I was looking for a companion, a friend in this isolated part of the island. I found you behind that block of ice. It’s taken some time but I used the warmth of my body to melt the ice. It worked and now I’m here with you. Tell me about your….”

If the red Muu-gar could be red-faced, well this would have been the occasion. “How dare you melt my ice block! I put it there to keep Muu-gars, red, blue or yellow, away from me. I’ll not stand for this.”

The blue Muu-gar pleaded, “Don’t you want companionship, friendship…"

“I’ve been down that path. I’ll not go down it again. It’s safer and easier to rest alone.”

And with that, the red Muu-gar disappeared into a modest shack nearby. The red Muu-gar returned with…another block of ice, this one a bit bigger and freshly frozen. The red Muu-gar placed it in front of the blue intruder and locked it into place. With a sweep of a paw, the red Muu-gar called for the blue Muu-gar to leave. The red Muu-gar settled back into place reclining away from the blue Muu-gar, all silent and at ease again.

The blue Muu-gar slumped down beside a Dizlemon bush. The time, the effort, the pain, the sacrifice, all gone to waste? What was it in the relationships of the past that made the red Muu-gar so fearful? What would the blue Muu-gar do now?

As the sun began to set, the blue Muu-gar headed for home. A dinner of Ravet berries and Wystr juice did not bring any comfort. Was the real ice in the path or in the red Muu-gar’s heart?

And so it began again. And it is said that if you were to pass by Tipoti today, you’d find a blue Muu-gar hard at work trying to melt yet another block of ice. And a red Muu-gar now watching with disdain at this persistent pest. You’d also notice that each new block is a little closer to the red Muu-gar than the last. For ice is cold and hard and solid. But love is warm and tenacious and ever hopeful, like the heart of a certain blue Muu-gar on a small Atlantic island.