The Mudskipper and the Tide Lines

Jiw the mudskipper loved hopping across the mud beside the mangroves. Sometimes the pools were full; sometimes the water retreated far away. He wanted to know when it would return.

On the first day, Jiw drew a line in the mud, but water erased it. A fiddler crab suggested placing little twigs above the water marks without blocking anyone's burrow.

Jiw set twigs at three levels and watched the moon. The first morning water reached the low twig, the next the middle, and then almost the high one. He drew three circles on a floating piece of bark.

One windy day, water rose higher than expected. Jiw understood that the lines showed a pattern, not a promise. Before foraging, he checked the twigs, wind, clouds, and current together.

When young mudskippers asked if the tide was coming, Jiw did not answer too quickly. He invited everyone to examine the clues, then led them back to the pool just as the water rose.

Nature slowly reveals patterns to patient observers.