Khrhkhkkrrr had a hiccup. Again. As always, when she had eaten more than two hikka-furs for breakfast without slek, or any other drink. But today was a special day, so she just had to pump up the energy reserves. And anyways higher in the hills there should be some shadowed kettles where yam-berries should still be present to relieve the hiccup…
…So, she lowered the nest to the ground, checked that kruma and mop-mop where in their proper place and sent her swinging residence back to the safe heights of the foliage. She glanced around to see, if there were any other early souls afoot. Seeing none she started her stroll humming a rolling bolling tune.
Ground was still moist like it would just have been violently ripped from a shivering nightmare to this trushmushy mist. Gentle first rays of the lesser sun were cutting the humid nightly breath of Muma nature to comforting veil under which the lone wanderer felt secure to find her way across the still meadow of glow arches.
Mumblebees and fatterflies seemed to be stretching their stiff limbs after a solid rest. She stopped in front of a sizable helicoil, where a particularly fluffy mumblebee mama was organizing her flock to tidy up before the first nectar hauling aerial stunts of the day. Few younglings were yawning with such a vigour that one would have expected them to misplace their jaws.
As Khrhkhkkkrrr gently remarked on that, one fuzzling snarled: “Chit up, you chitinless bag of bones!” “Oh-hou, furrighteous morning to you too, my dear morning cracker”, giggled Khrhkhkkrrr. Mama-bee apologized on behalf of the young fire mouth, Emberth, humbling the yawner to mumble the pardons to Mrs – which he reluctantly whispered to the awakening wind.
The light breeze hastened the wet kiss of the night off the furs and wings of the juvenile mumblebees and the mood brightened along the strengthening beams of the sun. It seemed like an opportune moment to inquire about any sights and possible direction of yam-berry bushes in the meadow.
Emberth felt slightly embarrassed on his temperamental “greeting”, being more tempered by the sun now, so he offered to show the way – he fancied some nectar, too. So did Pollow, Mollow and Jallow. So, each grabbed a limb and took off in a flash, while mamabee’s warnings of not ripping the dear Khrhkhkkrrr apart faded out to the diminishing hustle of the bustling meadow and headed towards the further end of the clearing.
The sweet smell of the yam-berry floated potent to the nostrils of Khrhkhkkrrr well before the bushes were on sight. They landed softly to drying ground and mumblebees droned to the upper branches to gather the sugary nectar of the berries. Khrhkhkkrrr thanked for the ride, wished swift harvesting and submerged her face to the juicy berries – sucking out their mellifluous content.
Mumblebees were efficient in their berry milking and they whirred off long before Khrhkhkkrrr had satisfied her long constructed lust of yam-berry. She felt the energy of the elixir flowing in her vanes – toes curling, content grin enlightened her juice dripping face. Right now, there was no reason to hurry anywhere…
Topics:
Sustainability – Short version:
Sustainability is a state, where people and nature co-exist in a long-lasting balance, allowing enough wealth, health, stability and good life for all – including other life forms over and under surface of Earth. Below some visualisations displaying the relation between the three components of sustainability.
Sustainability is a balanced social and economic well-being with healthy environment. We have chased economic independence and social status with such efficacy, that the third pillar of sustainability is crumbling. So, we need to re-think what is social and economic wellness, that allows decent life for future generations and other species.
Some background data:
Sustainability: https://debatales.com/learning-corner/sustainability
Berries: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Berry
Food processing: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Food_processing#Benefits_and_drawbacks
Additional info – not required to read for completing the tasks below:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Food_processing
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Food_industry
Questions – see links above, books, Internet or digital media for answers:
1. Sharing and caring. Sustainability is not just protecting the nature; it is also providing good life to people and other life forms. Small things we do daily may have bigger effects we think. Think of somebody you could surprise today with some small favour or friendly gesture. Best things in life do not often require using money.
Why do you think Emberth and his siblings carried Khrhkhkkrrr to the yam-berry field? Have you helped someone else, even though it would not have been necessary? What did you do? How did it feel? Have you received help you did not expect? When was that? How did you feel about it?
2. Early birds. There is something magical in sunrises and -sets on any universe. Warmth of the sun sustains life on earth, as the atmosphere helps restoring that heat layer on top of our planet. For past bit more than a century we have been accumulating carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases that are causing the global warming.
From now on, we must start doing things differently. From living the moment to saving the future. It is not necessary to fly to Bali or to climb a mountain top to enjoy a sunrise – or set.
Have you ever risen early and seen the sun rise? Did you have time to watch the rays beaming behind the horizon? Do you remember if it felt warm, if you went to the waking sunshine? Or did you feel the difference in temperature, if you stepped to shade? What would be a nice place to experience that again? When could you go? Who would you like to share it with?
3. Berries. Most of the food we eat in western world is processed. Food processing and production is efficient and due to improved preservation food can be transport globally. Processing food has many benefits and it is saving a lot of time in comparison to most animals. Food industry is one of many developments that allows us many kinds of activities, some of which consume the limited natural resources of Earth.
Sometimes processing lowers the quality of food. Heating is essential for example to canning, but it destroys vitamin C. Fruits and berries are one example of natural products, that are healthy and easy to consume also without processing.
Berries are natural candies, packed with vitamins and micronutrients. When did you last eat fresh or deep-frozen berries? What berries were they? What is your favourite berry? Why?
4. Discuss. Your view: What thoughts did rise in your mind having read the story, browsing through the background material and answering to the three questions above? Can you see links between the three topics handled in questions above? Discuss with your pair.
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