Native American Legends
River makes peace with itself
An American Indian Legend - Nation Unknown
The rivers were a disgruntled lot. They had started out as tiny
clear streams high up in the mountains and meandered through valleys
and plateaus and plains. Their waters had swollen up during heavy
rains and had then reduced to a trickle during summer. But on the
whole, they had flourished.
And now, at the end of their journey, they had to merge with the
sea. They would lose their precious freedom forever.
And yet, they couldn't stop themselves from flowing, could they?
So they flowed till they reached the sea. "This is too unfair!"
they said sadly to each other. "It's bad enough that we have
to merge. It is worse that our sweet and drinkable water becomes
terribly salty and tasteless when we merge with the sea."
The sea heard the rivers and looked amused, "If that's the
way you feel, I see no point why you should join me at all. Go away.
Of course, there was no way the rivers could do that. Even if by
some miracle they could change their course and not flow into the
sea, their very survival was at stake. For, very few rivers can
last on their own, without uniting with the sea. Most dry up and
die. What use was independence if one did not live to enjoy it?
So the rivers made peace with their situation and flowed into the
sea.
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