The Sea Lion, part 5

It was in May that the wind began to blow. The sea lion had grown used to wind, and at first he did not pay much heed to it at all. Years of desert life had taught him to turn his back in the direction from which the wind came, and cover his eyes with his flippers so that the dust would not get in. Eventually the winds would always pass, but not this time… Day and night it came, howling across the Barren Lands, there was nothing to stop it’s fury, nothing to even slow it down. For forty days and forty nights the wind blew. And then, just as suddenly as it begun, it stopped. The sea lion lifted himself to have a look around… He could hardly believe his eyes. Every single leaf had been stripped from his tree, the branches that remained with only a twig or two left on them looked like an old scarecrow. And I do not need to tell you that there was no longer any shade from which to hide. But worse than this, much worse indeed, was what the sea lion saw next. The water hole was completely dry.

(John Eldredge)