Some children are just like the platypus in this story. They have a thirst for knowledge, searching patiently for answers to solve the conundrums of life. They are incredible children and are always willing to share their knowledge.
When Platypus was a little platypup, he was always thinking about so many things that he felt muddled and couldn’t get to sleep. River noticed him tossing and turning.
‘Come and have a swim,’ said River. ‘Let the water calm your mind and help you to sleep.’
River was right. After a long swim, Platypus could think clearly and had the best sleep ever. Platypus would swim for hours studying all of the waterways. Platypus always told River what he had learnt on his journeys and River was fascinated by his great knowledge.
One day River was troubled and didn’t know what to do. There was a stream that kept flowing the wrong way. Little Stream wouldn’t follow the path that was drawn for him by the ancestors. This made the waterways muddy and salty and all the animals were complaining. Even the fish couldn’t find their way anymore and kept bumping into each other.
‘We can’t drink from the waterholes anymore, River,’ said the animals. ‘What has happened to your beautiful water? We will all die from thirst if Little Stream keeps being naughty.’
‘I am so sorry,’ said River. ‘I don’t know why Little Stream is so headstrong. I think he wants to grow up too quickly and be a big river instead of a little stream.’
‘Well, if he doesn’t behave soon, we will have to build a dam and stop him altogether,’ said the animals, very upset.
‘Oh, please don’t do that,’ River pleaded. ‘He will become a dry old river bed if you stop him running. I will talk to him and see what I can do.’
River tried talking to Little Stream, but Little Stream wouldn’t listen.
‘You are just a big old boring river,’ said Little Stream rudely. ‘I want to run to the ocean and see the whales, then everyone will follow me instead.’
‘But that is not the way it is meant to be,’ said River. ‘The land and the animals depend on us to bring them fresh water.’
Little Stream didn’t care and turned away from River, forging a new path through the bushland.
Platypus was swimming along River when he heard the animals complaining. Because Platypus was so clever, he was the only one who could still navigate safely through the muddy waters. Platypus knew all the waterways and understood how the whole river system worked together to nurture the land and the animals.
A few days later when Platypus was checking on some new water lilies, he came across a black lake he had never seen before. At the bottom of the lake slept a beautiful serpent ancestor, the biggest serpent of all time. He had slumbered there for centuries after creating all of the streams and rivers. But the lake was sick. There was no fresh water coming into it anymore and the water that was in the lake was disappearing. Lake asked Platypus for help.
‘Platypus,’ said Lake, ‘can you find out why none of the streams have come to visit me? I am waiting for fresh water to replenish the waterhole. I don’t want to disturb the serpent from his dreaming.’
‘Of course,’ said Platypus. ‘I think I know exactly what the problem is!’
Platypus went looking for Little Stream. He was hard to find as he kept changing course and disappearing. After much searching, finally Platypus found Little Stream trying to go up the side of a mountain.
‘What are you doing?’ said Platypus to Little Stream.
‘Oh, not you as well. I am trying to find my own way,’ said Little Stream. ‘I want to be an important big river.’
‘But you are important,’ said Platypus. ‘In fact you are one of the most important streams in our landscape.’
‘I don’t understand,’ said Little Stream. ‘I am just a trickle of water, I am not important to anyone.’
‘Follow me and I will show you just how important you are,’ said Platypus.
Platypus and Little Stream journeyed back across country together and along the way, Platypus explained to Little Stream how all of the waterways worked together, from the smallest trickle to the largest river.
‘You are part of a very big family,’ explained Platypus, ‘and without you, we will all perish.’
‘I had no idea. I thought I was all on my own,’ said Little Stream.
When they arrived at Lake, Little Stream became scared.
‘What is this place?’ he asked, trying to hide behind Platypus.
‘It is the spirit lake of one of our serpent ancestors,’ said Platypus. ‘The lake is sick because the fresh water has stopped coming and the serpent will soon have to wake from his slumber to find out what is wrong. The serpent needs his sleep, as the earth needs his dreaming to survive. The lake can only be replenished by a stream of water small enough but strong enough to find its way through the rocks deep in the earth. None of the rivers can do this, so it needs to be a little stream who is very determined.’
‘That sounds just like me!’ said Little Stream.
‘If you had followed the right path, you would have found your way to the spirit lake,’ said Platypus. ‘Instead of seeing whales, you would have seen the largest and most beautiful ancestor serpent of all time. You can be headstrong, but you must also learn to listen and understand. You may only be a little stream, but you have the most precious water of all.’
Little Stream took a big breath and with all his might forged a path deep into the rocks, allowing the precious water to replenish the lake and the serpent to continue his slumber. Little Stream felt very proud.
‘I would never have known what to do without you, Platypus,’ said Little Stream.
All the animals and waterways rejoiced and thanked Platypus for his patience and wisdom. Platypus often visited Little Stream and bathed in the spirit lake only they had seen.