The Vulture's Suit

[AKA Azure]

Azure recently told this Cerbies. I think the germ for it might have come from an Indian legend, but I'm not sure.



Back in the days when the world was young and the patience of the Gods and Goddesses was longer, all birds were born naked of feathers...and ugly. But they never grew any feathers and they cried out because at night they would shiver so and in the day the sun would scorch them.

They knew how ugly they were for it's our belief that makes us so. They knew that Xia hated to see ugly things, and they spoke among themselves to see who might be brave enough to approach her and ask for help. Finally the Vulture said he would go on the long journey to Xia's garden. All the birds praised him and the vulture began the long walk. He could fly, but without feathers he was colder then ever before and didn't want to fly unless he had to.

After days of heat and nights of cold he saw the beautiful shades of Xia's garden in the distance. You would not believe the colors there, for the names don't even exist in our language. And the smells! Oh, the smells of all good, green living things

Finally the Vulture drew closer and found the way barred. He cried out piteously, piercingly and you can hear that cry even today in the vultures we see. The gates swung open silently and the Vulture stumbled in. And there, there he found the Goddess Xia tending to her garden
She looked over and asked him his errand. And why he bothered her so. But the twinkle in her eye showed that she knew the purpose.

The Vulture gasped and gabbled out his reason for disturbing her, and Xia smiled again, and said fancy words that my tongue cannot wrap themselves around. She took him through her garden to the shed in the very back. And there, hanging on a long wooden dowel were feathered suits. HUNDREDS of them.

"Call your friends, and I will let each leave with a feathered suit that they will pass down to their fledglings and their fledglings' fledglings. And since you braved the trip, you may choose first. If you try one on and don't like it, you may take it off and try another. But you may only try each one once."

So Vulture went to one and tried it one. It was beautiful but he saw another and tried it on too. Each time he thought he had the lovliest suit he'd find another and have to try it on.

Through it all Xia waited patiently. Finally Vulture took off one suit and looked around for more. He knew there must be one even lovlier left for him. But as he looked he saw there was only one, tattered and small, in a corner. He looke anxiously for another, but it was all that remained.

Sadly he tried it on. It was too small so as he shoved himself into it the top and bottom tore, leaving his legs and head naked for all to see. But it was all that was left. The other birds arrived and happily tried on their new suits and flew away.

To this day you can see all the birds in their feathered suits, and Vulture's offspring in the too small one as he could not be satisfied.

[x.sweetnsour.x]

I'm glad I had the pleasure of being there to hear it. It was really good.

[Topaz]

Azure, that is wonderful.


Topaz