[ it takes him a while to work up to this, to figure out what "legend" to use and what to say that might give everyone hope and something positive to take out of this. even for a few minutes after he turns on the video, he sits in contemplative silence until finally choosing something to use to break that silence. ]My people have a story, an ancient legend passed down through the generations.
[ yes, kathryn. it's as much an ancient legend as that other one he told you so long ago. ] It's a story about a goose who was shot out of the air by a hunter. He was too injured to keep going and he fell to the ground under a grove of trees. Thinking his life would soon end, he closed his eyes and lay very still. The goose was surprised when he felt a small paw against his side. He opened his eyes to find a fox nudging him.
The fox examined the injured wing for a moment and then whistled. Fearing the worst, the goose closed his eyes again and let himself rest. The end would soon come and this would all be over. But the next thing he felt was a tiny, soft nose against his wing. Confused, the goose opened his eyes again and saw a hare. When she was done, she told the goose to move his wing. Still confused, the goose obeyed... and found that his wing didn't hurt anymore. The hare had healed him.
The goose slowly stood up. "Why did you help me? Why did you not eat me instead?"
The fox and the hare looked at each other. "We've been trapped for a long time," the hare explained. "It didn't seem right to leave you there."
The three of them worked and worked, but they couldn't escape. No matter what happened, what they did, the trees seemed to hold them there. They did their best to survive and believe that one day they would return to their homes. They talked every day and learned so much about each other that it seemed they'd known each other forever.
One day, the hunter finally arrived and decided to let them go. They were given a short time to say their farewells and because of what they had learned about each other, the goose, the hare, and the fox knew they would likely never see each other again. In tears, the hare tore off two tufts of fur. These turned into rabbit feet, which she told her friends would bring them good luck. The fox clipped off two of his claws, said to bring great strength to his friends. Feeling that his gift was the least useful, the goose plucked off two feathers and gave them to his friends, saying that when they needed help, these feathers would fly them to safety.
The three friends said their goodbyes and left, each returning to their homes and their families. Even though they never saw each other again, they always carried those gifts as reminders of the place where they had met and the strength and fortitude of those friendships.
[ he's silent for a minute to let that sink in before he takes a solemn breath and continues. ]For every event, every action in our lives, there is a beginning and an end. It may not be tangible or easy to see, but both exist as a part of our very beings. These actions and occurrences shape who we are, the people we meet mold us into different people and we're never the same after it. Despite what might happen when we leave, we'll never forget each other and the gifts we have shared.