I sat on the ninth stone, in the middle of the water, cross-legged. Sitting on the stone in front of me, the western most stone, a salamander. It was mostly black with speckles of dark green and stripes or squiggles of lighter green. It didn’t move, just sat on the rock looking at me. I could ask it questions, it wouldn’t talk or move but I could get the answers back as if it did. We communicated in this way, almost telepathically, of equality, size and importance. He explained how he is a small animal in the forest but no less a part of the forest as the larger ones. He asked me to relate his standing to my own and others who may hold smaller positions and ask if they are any less important than those in higher positions….
(Salamander’s Viewpoint)
A man appeared in my pond today. He sat on the middle stone, as if he belonged there, and watched me. He did not advance or threaten, nor did he retreat or show signs of fear. He looked comfortable there. We didn’t speak the same language though communication did not seem to be a problem. We discussed, without discussing, the relationship between size and power and the importance of equality.
