Something Different

THE VERY FIRST HUG

A long time ago in days of yore, when the World was very young, it was cold, so very very cold. At the top of the World it was even colder, it was so cold people like us would not be able to live there.

If we could have been there we would have seen that everything was white. Different shades of white but all the same, white! 

Sometimes the white was very dark almost like black white other times it would look like grey white. When the whiteness looked very dark you would never think there was ever a daytime.

For a few months of the year the sky would become lighter and on these days the whiteness would glisten and sparkle like diamonds and silver. On these lighter days sometimes the sun would break through the grey skies. The sun made the whiteness wondrous to see. 

The diamond and silver would sparkle from a deep orange in the morning to a blushing pink as the sun went back to sleep.

But most of the time everything was a freezing cold grey darkness. 
You would think that nothing could live there but you would be wrong. Some very clever and strong animals did live there. The smallest was a rabbit, the rabbit had to be very clever or they would be caught and eaten by the bigger animals. You may wonder what the rabbit could eat, as the rabbits we know only eat grass and greenery and of course carrots. 

These rabbits were different, they would eat anything they could find left over by the other animals. Can you think what colour the rabbit would be?

The animal the rabbit had to be most afraid was the white fox. 

The fox was also very clever, who would lie in wait hoping to catch a rabbit. Otherwise he would have to live off the scraps left behind by a bigger animal or even catch a fish.

Sometimes in the wind you would hear a howling noise. You could never be sure if this was an animal or the wind, it may have just been the wind. But there was an animal, the very secretive white wolf that would travel hundreds of miles looking for food.

Then there was the biggest animal of them all, a giant of animal. If it stood up and raised its enormous arms it would measure 10 feet high.

We will call this giant animal Polar, as that’s where it is from. If you had seen his face, you would think he looks nasty and angry. This is because he is. If he smells or sees or even thinks there is another animal nearby. He becomes even angrier. What he didn’t know is that he was so angry because he was lonely.

This giant of an animal would move slowly and surprisingly silently for its size. When it had to, like chasing an enemy or something to eat, it could move very quickly roaring like a giant train. Which would frighten the animal being chased so much it would freeze to a standstill. When Polar was close enough it would strike it dead with a powerful blow with his enormous paws.

This freezing cold country wasn’t all a snow-covered land. It was also the frozen ocean where underneath the ice you could see fish swimming. In most places the ice was so thick you couldn’t break through. In other places you could break through the ice to make a hole to catch a fish. The rabbit was too small to make a hole but would some times be able to find a few scraps of fish left behind. If the fox was careful it could make a hole where the ice was thin enough. But had to be very careful or he would fall in. It was a very lucky day for the fox if he caught a fish. Like the rabbit it would look for the scraps of fish and bones.

It was the giant Polar who made the big holes where he would wait and catch the fish as they swam by. You would wonder how such a big animal could react so quickly when catching the fish. It was while lying there next to his hole that Polar would feel the angriest. Or as we know, he was lonely.

It was when the cold was not so cold and the sky was lighter, even a little sunshine that Polar felt the angriest. He had no friends, any other animal was so afraid of him they would run and hide if they knew he was around. Polar had only seen one face and that was his own. When he broke the hole in the ice and the cold seawater became still, it was as shiny as a mirror.

Polar would look in the mirror and see two black eyes and a black nose. 

If he opened his lips like a smile he would see his big vicious teeth, yellow with sharp points and blood red gums. It would not be pretty like a smile we know.

He would lie there and stare at his reflection for a long time, not bothering to catch a fish. Maybe a fox or a white rabbit would creep as close as they dare hoping Polar would catch a fish and leave a few scraps behind. If they made the slightest sound, Polar would jump up so quickly and roar so loud the ice would shake around them.

Two evil black eyes and big black nose with the nostril flaring to his heavy breathing, he opened his lips to snarl at his reflection. Again he smashed his paw into the hole to wipe away his face. Polar stood up with an almighty roar that shook the ice he was standing on. He roared so loud he broke the ice and fell through into the water. Polar was a very swimmer,  he swam to where the ice was thick enough for him to clamber out of the freezing water. His coat was made of a special fur that kept him warm and dry. With an almighty shaking of his body, just like your dog will do, he shook the water from his coat.

Polar stood up to his full height and looked into the distance. 

At first he just stared, then becoming puzzled. He thought he saw something moving in the distance. There was something moving, it was a ghostly white shape coming towards him. When the shape got closer he could see it was as nearly big as him.

He watched the ghostly whiteness coming slowly towards him. At first he felt angry, he was not used to intruders coming into his world. Then he became confused.  As the ghostly shape came nearer he saw the same black holes he saw in is own reflection, two black eyes and a shiny black nose. 

The difference with this shape was that it also smiled at him showing big white shiny teeth but not a look of anger. Something he had never seen before a look of love. As the shape came closer Polar liked what he saw and also smiled, something he had never done before.

Looking at the new white shape Polar realised it was the same as him not just a reflection.

This new shape was a little smaller, looked more gentle and softer. As they came within arms reach of one another, they stretched out their huge arms and paws. 

Pulling one another together into their arms………The Very first Hug.

© John A Bromley all rights reserved