THE WORLD MOLLUSK
THE SKY AND THE SEA ARE TWO HALVES OF A GIANT SHELL and the earth on which all plants and animals live is the mollusk in-between.
A long, long time ago the world was always night. The shell was always closed. It was dark except for the light of pearls which shined down from the oceans above, including light from the Biggest Pearl which watched over everything.
The shell opened sometimes and only then was there daylight.
The daylight was the only time anyone ever experienced warmth. Once the shell closed no one knew when they would feel warmth again. Most lived to see one day in their lives. Others lived and died without.
Lam'mieh was afraid that she would die without knowing warmth. She lived in the First Forest with her granddaughter Te'nas. Te'nas knew Lam'mieh's wish and promised her grandmother that she would see the day before she died.
This was a time before everything. There were no boats. This was before there were boats. The only way to travel by water was to swim like the fish do. So Te'nas jumped into the ocean and began swimming.
Te'nas met First Salmon and his tribe along the way, “Hello!”
First Salmon was surprised. “Hello, small klootchman. Why are you here?”
“I'm swimming to the edge of the ocean to open the World Mollusk's shell.”
Almost all the salmon laughed. “You are too small.”
So she turned around and ate almost all the salmon, leaving only the ones who didn't. That is why today all fish look so frightened. Te'nas grew bigger.
Te'nas kept swimming and met First Seal and his to tribe along the way, “Hello!”
First Seal was surprised. “Hello, small klootchman. Why are you here?”
“I'm swimming to the edge of the ocean to open the World Mollusk's shell.”
Most of the seals began to argue with each other over whether or not it was possible.
So Te'nas turned and ate most of the seals who believed she couldn't. That is why today most seals are agreeable except when they aren't and fight each other. Te'nas grew even bigger.
Te'nas kept swimming and was almost there when she met First Whale and his tribe, “Hello!”
First Whale had never seen people before, “Hello and what are you?”
“I am a hunter.” Te'nas said. By now she was just big enough to do anything she wanted. She killed the First Whale and ate him for strength.
She reached the edge of the shell and opened it. Te'nas held it open. Back home Lam'mieh was able to see daylight and feel warmth before she died.
Because of the great distance and the great strength required to open the shell, Te'nas never returned home. Instead she stayed in the ocean eating fish, seals, and whales. She opens the shell and holds it open until she is too tired to hold it up any longer.
The daylight burnt half of Te'nas, while leaving half of her unburnt. Te'nas was the first black and white orca whale. Her children and her children's children uphold her tradition of holding open the World Mollusk's shell.
So if there were no more orcas then there would be no more days.