Creatures from the Deep

Tales of the Fairground : II

 

 

 

 

Just past the entrance to the fair is a large aquarium with many life-like models of marine life. The man at the side was calling out to the many wonders of the deep and their peculiar character. Mother and the kid moved on to the stage shows, but father stayed to view the exhibit.

 

In the middle was a giant octopus with tentacles that wrapped themselves around a shipwreck, a whale, a dolphin and a dugong. ' See the giant octopus,' the man was saying, ' lives so deep in the sea, has no companions, so she developed tentacles to grab and hold anyone who comes close and will not let go. It is the great lord of the seas, the mighty Cetus.'

 

' And then there's the nautilus, ' he continued, pointing at the mutli-chambered model floating in the water, ' it is the capsule of life, the way that life was formed in the seas.' Next to it were some baby sharks. Pointing to that, the man added, ' that is what life is today ... ' he raised his eyebrows at father, ' its cute, its funny and its entertaining ... but, it also has teeth as sharp as razors. It needs to eat. ' He almost yelled out the last few words.

 

' It's the legend of the Ancient Mariner, ' he continued in a voice that boomed across the fair. ' It is the story of man and his journeys through life. You have to watch for the dolphin ... he can toss you upside down, the way he did that to the ship down in the depths.'

 

Father avoided the man's starry eyed gaze. It peered out of some primeval darkness to view the life of ordinary folk in the suburbs. The man had probably dedicated himself to bringing such entertainment to the general public. He thanked him before moving on.

 

Ahead of him, the kid was gesturing for him to hurry as mother and the child were entering a show about the mystical east and the mystery of a white turbaned, Swamy Sindhikarai from India and Vellayamal ( white mother).