Max's Dream

Max had a dream. But was it what he really wanted?

Max’s Dream

A short story by Adrian Spencer

                The dawn was peaceful, yet somehow haunting, as a gentle breeze wafted through the branches of the willow on the banks of the glassy pond. The orange sky reflected in the ripples of the water created by the dewdrops falling from the tree branches.

                Max sat on a rock looking out at the water. Every now and then he would break his stare and look at a single branch stuck in the mud inches away from the waters’ edge.

                 Big Eyes sat in the tree next to the rock Max was sitting on. “Hey Max what you doing? Dreaming again? You’ll never be one you know!” he shouted.

                Max just looked up, snorted his disapproval, then looked back and continued to stare at the water. Suddenly Max stirred as he noticed a small bud at the top of the branch. He went to have a closer look. “See Big Eyes, I told you it would grow. What do you know? Maybe I can be one, one day. If this can happen anything can.”

                “But you are a toad. What makes you think you can be a two-legger? More importantly, Why would you want to be?”

                Max looked at Big Eyes and said, “You are an Eagle, do you like being who you are? Don’t you ever wish you could be something else?”

                “Now why would I want to be anything else? I am free to go and do whatever I please. I am capable of getting my own food. I live wherever I want. My life is perfect. You know you have the same advantages.”

                “Yes but look at me I’m ugly and no one likes me. I am a pest. We were brought here to help control the Cane Beetle. The only trouble is we have become the pest now, and everyone wants to kill us. Some two leggers treat us really badly.” By now Max had tears in his eyes.

                “That is precisely my point. They treat you badly and you dream about being one of them.” Big Eyes flew down and sat beside Max. He stretched out a wing and placed it on Max’s back. “We are friends, I like you Max but you have to stop this dreaming.”

                Max jumped away from Big Eyes, just one hop, and turned to look at him. “I like you too Big Eyes but you don’t understand. The two leggers need to be told that we are not trying to hurt them. I can’t do that looking like this. A two legger is likely to pick me up, put me in a bag, and put me in their freezer or something.’

                Big Eyes stretched out his wings and laughed uncontrollably. “Come on Max, you are letting your imagination run wild again. That sort of thing does not happen.”

                Two eyes broke the surface of the water. Big Eyes saw them and took off and landed halfway up his tree where it was safe. It was Clarence the crocodile and he was looking very hungry and more than just a little upset.

                Max looked at Clarence and asked, “What seems to be the problem?”

                Clarence slowly swam over to the edge of the water. “Well if you must know, it seems that a two-legger has told the local ranger that a crocodile has been harassing campers on the other side of the lake. Well as I am the only croc in this lake, guess who they are hunting. I heard the rangers saying that they will need to relocate me to a crocodile farm or something. I don’t want to do that, I would lose all my friends, like you guys.”

                Max looked at Big Eyes and said, “You see what I mean? The two-legers take everything the wrong way. If I was one I could teach them that we just want to be left alone to enjoy life too.”

                Big Eyes looked at Max and said, “You know I admire your thought process but there is one thing you need to know about two-leggers. I have learned that they trust no-one, especially not another two-legger. So if you were trying to save one of us from one of them they will not listen to you. It seems to me that once they get a bee in their bonnet they go with it and nothing is going to get in their way.”

                “So what do you suggest?” asked Max and Clarence simultaneously.

                “Well as we are here on this side of the lake and it is very hard for two-leggers to get over here unless they come in that tin thing they call a boat, we can live out lives in peace and quiet, free from freezers and crocodile farms. There is plenty of fish in the lake for Clarence and me, and plenty of things for you to eat too.”

                Max looked at Clarence and said, “He has a point you know.”

                Clarence just nodded, turned around and disappeared back into the lake.

Max jumped back onto his rock and looked at the water.

Author's Note

This was my very first attempt at writing. I have had no formal writing training and only write what comes into my head.