Oh Dam!

There was once a Dam that created the world. He made itself hold back all the Oceans and all of the Rivers so that Land could stay dry. Dam built up its walls with sticks and stones and anything that would fill. He decided to save the land and he did this for hundreds of thousands of years. Dam was proud at the life he has helped create.

He heard the cute little bunnies jumping for joy and the way the trees whispered in the breeze. He heard the birds speak songs of love and strength. And Land soaked in the sun and breathed, thanks to Dam. Dam had given so much for this world. It was necessary and the animals and land couldn't imagine a life without it.  

But the shrieking Waters had other plans. The Oceans wailed as they tumbled, bumped and shoved onward, forcing Dam to stand tall. The roaring Rivers tried to push that Dam down, tried to break him. And little by little the Dam notices these unseen holes, the Waters created. As the Waters slips out, the Dam heard the cries of the flaws. 

His flaws

Drip. You are nothing.

Drip. I will reach Land.

Drip. You are broken.

Drip. You won't last.

Gush. I will win this war. You will become lonely logs once more. You are dead to us. And crippling cracks of Waters laughed. 

The Dam sees what once was a single, lonely drop turned into a rushing stream. The dam quivers with fear. Yes, the Waters bellow. You have failed.

The next crack screams. I have beat you down.

After years of these drips and drops and storms emerging into the land, Dam begins to believe all that was said. Maybe he was just supposed to be logs. Maybe there was no way he could win. These thoughts bring him down, and he sinks with the weight of his little world on his chest. Only letting more water splash over the top as it mocks the dam. You are nothing.

The Land starts to soften. It's breath choking on the drops but fighting for another day. The animals silence in fear. They refuse to play, refuse to jump, refuse to be. They just seem to stand and hide as they worry. Dam was confused. How could this happen? I did all I could do. I fought once before, I won already. How is it that now? Now the waters are taking it back? 

The dam didn't know. 

As the years go by and more cracks spring up. The Dam continues to fret about this constant battle. It is looking like defeat. 

As the Land watched the water seep into its lungs, it coughed and it quaked with worry. Land started drowning, with all the Waters that Dam was letting in. When the Waters got too high, Land reached out to the Dam.

With the Land's last breaths, it whispered to the Dam. "Don't give up. Look how high you still stand. You have made a stand and held it for all these years. So patch yourself up, wipe yourself off and fight back. You have saved lives once, you have conquered the world. And after all these years... YOU haven't fallen. You are still making a stand. Still holding true. You can continue to fight." Land went silent as it was deafened by the Waters cheers.

But Dam was still confused. He has been listening to the Rivers for so long, he forgot about the Land on his right. He listens as the Oceans tried to push him and heaved to a stop. Dam reaches out to Land, wanting advice. But Land was already drowning in sorrow. So Dam reached in and grabbed up  some pasty mud and begins filling in those shrieking cracks. It grabs on and plugs those sizzling holes. 

As the Dam listened to the water, it found the only water speaking was the ones that were getting away. But there was still a whole ocean waiting to break through. Only the weak break down. Only the weak become logs. Only the weak give up to the water. And the dam knew he wasn't weak. He had years of success. Years of acceptance and he knew the beauty it helped create. 

Finally, the Dam decided to make a stronger stand. The dam strengthened its walls, hole by hole, crack by crack. It grabbed the liquid land and formed it into those holes. The animals peeked out of their hidden homes and saw what was happened. The Waters weren't coming in, quite as strong. The Dam was fighting back, and the animals ran to  help. And as each whole was filled, the water muffled. 

As the Dam took more mud from Land, it found that Land started to dry and the beautiful animals fought through to remain where they were. The animals jumped as they worked. Spoke as they harbored and whispered this story as they went. They cheered as they filled and the Land slowly began to breath again. Dam learned that he could save his little world, just by saving himself. 

And to this day, the beavers jump and whisper and work as they honor Dam by building their own and using the liquid land to fill up their own holes and cracks, knowing that if it worked before, it could always handle another battle against those pesky Waters.