Lundeeria : Chapter Six

Chapter 6: Life on Earth

Justin and Emma looked at each other, dreading what they knew and didn’t want to say. How could they tell the Lundeerians about what happens on Earth? And yet, having been asked to tell the truth, how could they not?

Justin felt a lump in his throat and had to swallow hard. Not knowing what to say first, he just blurted out, “On Earth many animals, not just humans, eat other animals.”

The Lundeerians gasped. It was even worse than they thought. Animals just like them were eating other animals? It was unthinkable!

Emma continued when Justin hesitated. “But . . . but there are many animals on Earth that eat only plants. It’s just that the animals that eat other animals . . . they just don’t know better. And so they kill when they’re hungry. They just need something to eat.”

A groan went up from countless animals around them. First, they had learned that humans ate animals. Next, they learned that other animals also ate animals. And now they realized that all those animals that were eaten were, of course, killed first. How much worse could the children’s tale of Earth get?

Justin and Emma didn’t know what to say next. The more they tried to explain, the worse things became. They were both beginning to wish they had never awakened on Lundeeria. As exciting as it had first seemed, now they were confused and feeling lost. If only Mom and Dad were here, they would know what to do, what to say.  

That was it! They’d explain to the Lundeerians like Mom and Dad had explained to them.

 Justin began. “On earth, many animals used to live in the woods and fields. Like I guess you do here. Others flew in the sky or swam in the water. When they were hungry, many would catch something and eat it. Humans too hunted and fished for their food. And they also ate plants and nuts and seeds.”

“But now, people go to one place, called a store. It’s where they get all their food. And it’s so much easier than hunting or fishing. Humans can eat animals whenever they want since so many animals are raised on factory farms,” Emma continued.

Nightingale asked, “What is a factory farm? Is it a better place for animals to live than in the woods and rivers?”

“No way! It’s so much worse.” Justin shook his head and shuddered.

“Nightingale, how do animals live together here?” asked Emma.

Nightingale replied, ”We like living together with our families and friends. That way we can look after each other. Young animals can play with one another. Older animals take turns looking after younger ones. Many of us like living in large groups, so we have lots of friends. We live in the woods, the valleys, in oceans and streams, and in the sky. When the weather is bad we take cover. But mostly we feel the sun on our backs, or the air or water around us. All of this is very natural to us.”

“It’s natural to animals on Earth too,” Emma said. “That’s the same way they used to live.”

“But not now? Not on the factory farms?” Tortoise asked.

“No. On factory farms, animals live in buildings. They’re sort of like caves. And the animals never see the sky or the ground.” Justin replied.

“That’s terrible! Do many animals have to live like this?” Gazelle asked.

“Millions, billions, have to.”

“What’s a billion?” Tortoise asked.

“Mom and Dad say it’s a really a lot. Emma and I couldn’t begin to count that high. Even you and all the other tortoises couldn’t count that high,” Justin answered.

As Tortoise heard this, a single tear rolled slowly down his cheek that was lined with wrinkles.  

“What kinds of animals?” asked Gazelle.

“Well, do you have chickens or turkeys here?” Justin asked looking out at the immense crater that was filled with animals.

“I’m here. I’m Hen and this is Rooster,” cried out a chicken, as a rooster proudly escorted her to the front of the crowd.

Looking first at Hen and then at Justin and Emma, Rooster said, “We look after our children together. First, we both scout around and agree on a good place to build a nest. Then, I keep watch while their mother here sits on the eggs to keep our children warm before they hatch. I’ve even caught her clucking to the young ones before they hatch,” explained Rooster as he winked at the twins. “We love taking baths in the dust and pecking around to find things to eat.”

“I’m here, too,” gobbled Turkey. “Like Hen and Rooster, I love living in a group, the larger the better. My friends and I love to strut around showing off our feathers. We are very curious and good at solving problems. When we’re happy, we purr, like the cats. And at night, we fly up into the trees to sleep.”

Emma looked at the three birds. “I’m so very sorry. Many chickens on factory farms spend their lives in buildings that seem to go on forever. They never get to peck around. Or take a bath in the dirt. They don’t hatch and raise their children. Most don’t even see the sky or breathe fresh air. There are so many packed in together that they don’t have enough space to spread their wings.”

“And turkeys are made to eat so much, they become fat and can’t even fly. Sometimes they are so heavy and sick, they can’t even walk. And they certainly don’t play with friends. On factory farms, they don’t have friends,” Emma quietly said.

Hen and Rooster and Turkey froze. No dirt beneath one’s feet to explore? No flying in the air with the sun on one’s back? It was as if their feathers had suddenly become dull and the life had gone out of them. Their hearts ached and went out to their kind on Earth. Heads drooping, they took only a few steps before they collapsed, unable to move any further. 

“I don’t know what to say. I’m just so very, very sorry.” Emma bent down to stroke their feathers as she looked in their eyes and apologized for something she herself didn’t really understand.

“Who else?” asked Gazelle, closing her eyes and opening them again as she gave a deep sigh.

“Do you have ducks and geese?” asked Justin.

Duck and Goose came forward, but more slowly than Hen, Rooster, and Turkey had. What about their kind they wondered.

“Like turkey, we too love to fly. But we travel far in the sky over long distances. We fly with the seasons to warmer places in the winter and cooler places in the summer. We love to play and swim in the water and dive to eat the plants growing there,” explained Duck.

“We geese are very loyal. We look after each of our children until they can take care of themselves. When they become sick, we stay with them until they are well. We mate for life and mourn when we lose our spouse,” added Goose.

Justin swallowed and then spoke softly, barely able to look at Duck and Goose. “Ducks and geese are also forced to eat a lot. Like turkeys, they become too fat to fly. Ducks and geese live in fear. Because their lives are so hard, they easily become sick. They don’t live long. Or know the happiness that you know here on Lundeeria.”

Duck and Goose bowed their heads in shock. Their tears fell to the ground at their feet and they became very quiet. It was as if they had stopped breathing. They slowly moved to join the others.

Gazelle gazed at Justin. His eyes were so sad; she felt his sorrow as strongly as she felt her own. “Justin, I know this is very difficult for both of you, and I know you do not want to hurt us. But we must know the truth. And you and Emma are the only ones who can tell us that truth.”

Emma looked at Justin and took a deep breath.

“Are there pigs here?” she asked.

A soft squeal was heard as Pig came forward. “I am here. I love living with my parents and all my brothers and sisters. Mothers will carefully build a nest so their babies will be born in a safe area. When we are young, we call for help if we get into trouble. We know our mother will recognize our voice and coming as quickly as she can to help us.” 

“When we make friends with other pigs, we become friends for life. We all sometimes play in the mud because it keeps us cool in the summer. But other than that, we like being clean. And other animals often ask us for advice saying that we are very clever.”

Emma knelt on the ground and gently stroked Pig’s head. “Pigs are known to be clever on Earth, also. They’re as smart as three-year old human children!”

“How do we live on Earth, Emma? On factory farms like the others?” Pig held her breath as she looked up at Emma.

It was so hard to answer, to tell the truth. But these caring, peaceful animals honestly wanted to know about their kind a long, long way from here.

“Yes, Pig. On factory farms, pigs live in big, dark buildings where the air smells terrible. They live in cages so small they can’t turn around. These cages are not kept clean. Pigs never get to play with their brothers and sisters in the dirt.”

“Mother pigs do not have their babies in a safe nest, but on concrete, kind of like rock. The little piglets are separated from their mothers when they’re just a few weeks old. The piglets cry in terror for their mothers to come, but the mothers are in cages. They can do nothing for their crying babies.”

Pig gave a sob and then gained control of herself. She went over to Hen, Rooster, Turkey, Duck, and Goose, and lay down with them. The six could feel the love from their fellow Lundeerians, but even so their hearts felt numb with sadness over what they had learned.

“Who else?” asked Tortoise.

“Sheep?” Justin looked again at all the faces before him and saw a beautiful snow white sheep walking gracefully toward him. Her long lashes almost covered her downcast eyes. “I know it was very selfish of me, but I was so hoping not to be called,” she said, looking up at Justin.

“I love living with all my friends. The more the merrier. We show we care for one another by rubbing our heads together. We have very good memories and can remember many faces for years. Other animals say we’re quite clever.”

Justin sat down cross-legged in front of her and ran his hands over her thick wool coat.

“On factory farms, sheep are kept in pens with wire mesh bottoms. It’s like standing on tiny sticks that are loosely connected. They are kept in buildings all their lives. They never feel the sun on their faces or the grass beneath their feet. I am so sorry, but the babies are taken away from their mothers soon after they are born.”

Justin pressed his face to Sheep’s face and she rubbed against his. She felt his tears mix with her own. Then she too went slowly to join the others where she sank tearfully to the ground.

“Are there cows here?” Emma didn’t know how much longer she could do this.

A large brown cow moved carefully through the crowd so she wouldn’t harm any of the smaller creatures. She had a single white mark, which ran from between her eyes down her face. Her eyes, as dark as chocolate, were fixed on Emma’s blue eyes.

“We cows are very social. We stay together with family and friends all our lives. We live in fields where we can lazily chew the grass. We often groom others, especially if they are upset. We have very good memories and can remember a lot about where we live and how to find what we want. When our children are young, we mothers gather all the young ones into a group and take turns looking after them. This way the other mothers can go eat.”

With a tear in her eye, she continued, “If something happens to one of us, all the others become very sad. What about us, Emma?”

Emma stretched up to put her arms around Cow’s neck but she was too short. So she stroked Cow’s face instead.

“Cows too. Mothers and their children are also separated a day or two after the babies are born. Cows are crowded in with so many others they have no freedom. They easily become sick. Since there are too many to care for, the humans keep giving them medicine. It’s supposed to make them better. But often it just causes other problems.”

“Cows, too, often stand on concrete, not grass or the ground. Instead of the grass that cows love to eat, they are only given corn because it makes them fat.”

In grief for her kind on Earth, Cow bowed her head. Emma stood on tiptoe to gently kiss the white mark on Cow’s face. Then, Cow too joined the others.

“Who else?” Tortoise asked huskily.

“Sea creatures. They too are now beginning to be raised on factory farms.”

Justin peered into the water that was in the crater’s pond and saw countless fish in the deep water. He saw tunas, shrimp, lobsters, trout, and others. He looked up at Tortoise. “All of them, and many more. Once our world had loads of these and other sea creatures. But so many were caught that now there are fewer and fewer.”

Dolphin swam to the edge of the pond where Justin was standing and looked deep into Justin’s eyes. If he didn’t know better he would have thought Dolphin was crying. But dolphins can’t cry. Can they?

Justin continued. “Most people don’t know that fish can feel pain. They are very aware. And can even sense what is around them without touching it.”

“Thank you, children. We have heard enough. Now we know what is happening on the world called Earth,” announced Tortoise. 

(To be continued...)