Page 58 - Up Up and Away

In early times, in the jungles of Mexico, there were

deep pools called cenotes, linked by a lattice of limestone

caves. Brilliantly coloured birds - the toucan, the scarlet

ibis, the quetzal, and the howler monkeys lived in the

canopy. On the jungle floor lived jaguars, coatis, ring-

tailed lemurs, spiders, beetles large and small, snakes, and

butterflies. In the ocean and rivers were schools of silver

fish, angel fish, clown fish, clams, lobsters, oysters,

dolphins, and swordfish, to name just a few. While

needing to guard against the larger predators and

compete with other fishing birds like the herons,

nevertheless, everyone ate enough, including the humans

who had always lived there, and all was in balance.

But invaders came and tried to enslave the people who
had lived peacefully with the birds and animals. These

invaders brought large ships and caught as many fish as
they could, more than they could possibly eat. There was

no end to their greed and hunger.

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