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By Jim Highland:

For those of you who are feeling concerned regarding the results of the most recent election, here’s an election story that requires you to imagine the challenge of a new administration in Washington as a kind of flood that is coming down a river.

One day, after an election, Fish and Turtle were swimming around in the river. Both of them noticed dark, storm-clouds that had gathered upstream of the river, and could almost see the rain that was pouring down that way. Neither really knew what to expect, but both felt they were in for a flood, probably a big one at that.

Fish was strong and determined, and he liked to take on challenges, like a flood. He swam around in circles getting himself ready to take on the flood headfirst and prove it could not defeat him. He even sang a little song as he swam, “I’m gonna beat the river,” over and over. His eyes were wide and they scanned every direction, but he only saw the raging waters of the flood, even though they weren’t there yet. When the waters began to rise, Fish was limber and strong and ready to take them on.

Turtle noticed the storm-clouds as well. He didn’t sing the same song that Fish was singing. He hummed an old tune without remembering half of the words, but his eyes looked around carefully. What was he looking for? Well, when he saw an old log floating slowly down the river, his eyes got just a little bigger, and he slowly swam over and climbed on top of the floating log. Just as he found a good place to nestle on the log, the flood-waters swelled and then started to boil around him and Fish.

Fish swam bravely, everyone knew he would. He even managed to make it upstream a few hundred yards. But as the waters boiled and surged faster and faster, Fish was pushed back to where he started. Fish redoubled his efforts. He called on the strength of all Fish to help him, but it was no use. There was just too much water and it was flowing too fast. In a moment when he thought he could take a break, the water swept him on his side and tumbled him downstream for many miles until he was washed up on a large rock and lay there, helpless, worried that he would soon be attacked by birds of prey.

Turtle always had enjoyed the flashes and rumbles of a good thunderstorm, from the safety of a secure place, and now he enjoyed the massive waves and rushes of a good flood. He knew, in the end, the flood was only just drops of rain, and he could always weather the rain and get something to drink afterwards. So, Turtle rode atop the floating log until he reached a place where the river fanned out over low banks and its rage was broken into peaceful meandering. Then, Turtle hopped off the log and started to swim to the shore to do what he wanted to do in the first place.

But before he got there, he passed a large rock with Fish on top of it. He climbed up on the rock and asked Fish: “Fish, aren’t you usually in the river? What are you doing up here? You might get eaten by the birds of prey, don’t you know that?” Fish was not in the mood for Turtle’s questions, but didn’t have anything else he could do, and yet felt he had to say something, so he replied, “Yes, I know; but I am exhausted and stuck here. I don’t know what to do.” “Well,” said Turtle, “Why don’t I just push you back into the river? You like the water, don’t you?” “Well,” said Fish,” I just got beaten by the water. Why would I want to be around it now?” Turtle replied, “We all need some water, but when it’s too much, we need to ride it out and make it calm down. You should have found a log. With all of the wind and rain of this storm, there should be other logs floating in the river soon. If I push you in the water, you can grab a hold of a log until you’re ready to swim again.” Fish rolled his eyes, but finally agreed, after Turtle promised not to tell anyone what had happened. They both swam around slowly, looking for logs. The end.

You can take this story for whatever you want. You can decide if you are more like Turtle or like Fish, and who you think it is better to resemble. But make sure you think about the floating log. While both Turtle and Fish did things to face the flood, the log didn’t have to do anything. Its nature is to float, so it just did what it does naturally, and was able to help others at the same time. May this story help you in the coming months, and thanks for reading the PA Campfire Dispatch.