The Story of the Blue Planet by Andri Snaer Magnason Page A

dangerous and incredible adventure that any child on the blue planet could ever have imagined.

The Saga Begins
     
    The saga begins on a little island in a deep ocean, shortly before the annual awakening of the butterflies. It was a bright summer’s day and Brimir was wandering along a black sandy beach collecting seashells and skimming the ocean with flat stones. He walked slowly through the penguin nesting grounds, zigzagging through the crowd, taking special care not to step on any eggs.
    Brimir was going to show his friend Hulda a beautiful stone he had found near the Blue Mountains. Only a glimpse of his head could be seen, as a lock of his yellow hair stood out among the black and white flock of penguins. His tummy was grumbling because he had completely forgotten to eat on his hike. He looked at the delicious eggs under the penguins’ bottoms and his mouth watered, but when he caught their nasty looks he decided to let them be. After all, he was alone against thousands of them; he had a sharp mind but their beaks were sharper.
    Brimir saw Hulda dragging a large sack and ran over to her.
    “Hi,” said Brimir. “What’s in the sack?”

    “Just a seal.”
    “Just a seal?”
    “Yes, just one seal, but also oranges and two rabbits!” “Mmmm! Did you catch the seal?”
    “Oh, it was no big deal, it was so small. I knocked it out with a club,” said Hulda as she tapped Brimir lightly on his head.
    “Shall I help you pull the sack?”
    “That would be nice.”
    Brimir and Hulda strolled along the beach, dragging the sack behind them, wiping out their tracks in the sand. They looked out over the sea and the black sand in the bay with the palm trees where they were going to skin and cook the seal. They collected logs, lit a fire, and grilled the seal in one piece. When they had eaten their fill they sat in the sand and watched the sunset. Then they lay on their backs and watched the stars grow brighter as the darkness grew blacker.
    “I think this was the best and most beautiful day of my life,” whispered Hulda.
    “Yes, it’s even better than the second-best day I’ve ever lived, which was yesterday,” said Brimir.
    “What did you do yesterday?”
    “Nothing special. I just felt so happy,” said Brimir, smiling. “Life keeps getting better and better.”
    “And the butterflies are coming soon,” said Hulda, glowing with happiness.

    Brimir showed Hulda the stone he found. How it glittered. Like a thousand rainbows. Like a million stars.
    “It’s beautiful!”
    “You can have it,” said Brimir.
    “No, I don’t want it,” said Hulda, “it’s too beautiful.”
    “Really, I want you to have it,” said Brimir.
    Knowing in her heart that it’s a greater blessing to give than to receive, Hulda accepted the stone to please Brimir.
    “What kind of stone is it?”
    “I think it’s a wishing stone.”
    “Can I make a wish?” asked Hulda.
    “Yes, if you want to,” replied Brimir, “but then the stone changes into an ordinary pebble.”
    “Do I only get the one wish?”
    “Yes, but you can make whatever wish you like.”

    Hulda was silent. She thought things over, racked her brains, and let her mind wander.
    “I really can’t think of anything to wish for.”
    “Nothing?” asked Brimir.
    “I have enough to eat and I have many friends because everybody’s my friend. But there’s always been one wish I’ve had,” said Hulda.
    “And what’s that?”
    “I’ve always wished that my best friend would give me an amazingly beautiful wishing stone. And now my wish has come true so I can’t think of anything else to wish for!”
    Hulda smiled shyly, kissed Brimir quickly on the cheek, and held the stone carefully, like a sparrow’s egg.
    “That’s a really strange star!” said Brimir suddenly.
    “Where?” asked Hulda.
    “There!” shouted Brimir.
    “There shouldn’t be a star there,” said Hulda and rubbed her eyes.
    But the star was not motionless in space. It zoomed about