The Lake.
It was a large freshwater lake and it stretched out on all sides as far as the eye could see. Its water was black, green and dark. The lake lay tranquil, and only small waves broke unto the sandy shore.
The dark expanse of water stretched out for many, many miles. One could not spot the further shore from the side, or even the middle of the lake. It was a vast and spectacular body of water. Waterlillies grew on the surface at some places, especially close to the shore. These water plants floated gently in the water, green and succulent. Grass grew at some places along the shore, among the sand. Trees flourished on and near the banks of the lake. The plains adjacent to the lake lands were lush with long green grass. It was here the antelope grazed.
At various places along the shoreline there grew thick bushes of strong yellow reeds. The reed bushes favored growing in small inlets and bays, where the water was more tranquil. Here and along the banks, the reeds flourished. The sun shone brightly above the lake, and a few scattered clouds drifted lazily about high in the blue sky. The wind stirred the green grass along the banks and out on the plains. The antelope grazed out on the plains, and came down to the lake to drink in the afternoon.
The herds would gather on the banks and drink the fresh, clear water of the lake. The zebras, buffalo, bush pigs and various other animals came down to the banks to drink. As they drank, they were always on the look out for predators, such as lions. After the herds had had their fill of the cold water, they returned to the plains to graze. Birds of all variations lived along the shoreline of the mighty lake.
Gulls flew high in the sky, squawking as they searched for food from on high. They circled in numbers above the lake, looking for fish. A lone fish eagle was perched on a tree stump on the bank. It gave its distinctive repetitive call, and waited. Suddenly it swooped down from its perch and flew swiftly over the water. It dived with its claws reaching just below the water surface, and it grabbed hold of a fish. The fish eagle's talons ripped into the fish, and the strong claws gripped it firmly as it flew off.
There were several villages along the shore of the lake. The dwellings in the villages consisted of round wooden huts. The huts were spaced in a semi-circle, and they were all surrounded by a large wooden fence. On the boundaries of the villages, the women grew small crops out in the nearby fields. They grew maize, and various vegetables. The children helped the women in the mornings to cultivate the small strips of land. In the afternoons they went to play along the shore of the lake.
The men spent the days fishing with small handmade boats out on the lake. They sailed to the middle of the lake, and cast out their nets on the surface. They labored all day under the hot yellow sun in the small wooden boats, catching fish. Late in the afternoon they would return to the village with the days catch. They would sail back to the shore over the cold, dark waters of the lake.
The lake lay dark, green and tranquil. Among the waterlillys, and out in the deeper water, the crocodiles lay on the surface like logs. They floated lazily around in the late afternoon heat. The hippopotamus lay around in the deep water of the lake, in a similar fashion. Their large round heads and bodies floated in the water, protruding like large round boulders on the surface. The lake lay silent and serene, as the sun shone above in the sky. Only small ripples ran across the surface, and a light wind stirred the clouds and the trees.
As dusk fell, the sun set brilliant and glowing red on the horizon over the lake. The setting red sun's rays, reflected off the clouds, casting them in beautiful pink and blue hues. Slowly the spectacle of nature faded, and the world grew dark. The moon was not out yet, and the stars came out one by one, to keep a solitary vigil. The night grew dark quickly, and the stars were scattered in their brilliance across the heavens.
And with the fall of darkness came the sounds of the nights. The noise of a multitude of nocturnal insects echoed continually through the night. A hundred thousand frogs croaked loudly in the reeds along the banks of the lake, in different tones and pitches. Birdcalls echoed from the trees through the night. It was an orchestra of nature's night music, and it would continue throughout the long night.
Out on the lake the water was dark, and cold, and quiet. The water stirred tranquil and serene under the brilliant starry heavens above. The lake was as it ever had been, unchanged.
The End.
JP Brown ' 05/05/2006.
