Animal Totem Tales — Cyril the Centipede
Once upon a time there was born unto the world a creature of many many legs, with tiger stripes down his long undulating back, a crown at his head and a swish at his tail; this creature was a centipede and his name was Cyril.
Cyril was bougie, Cyril sang the conga as he pranced through the grass waving ‘hi’ to the worms and the ants with one or two of his legs and Cyril was completely unaware that he was, in fact, terrifying.
At night Cyril settled down in his grassy palace and thought about his brothers and sisters who he hadn’t seen since they burst forth from their nest, running in all directions into the grass and away from family whilst the infant Cyril hung back calling to them to wait. It made him sad that he didn’t know where his family was but when he put his many many legs on the ground all at once and concentrated on the earth, he felt their presence in his heart and he sent them love and wishes for prosperity. That was the other thing about Cyril, he was always happening upon money.
Wherever Cyril pranced, singing the conga and wagging his feet he was always stepping on coins and gems and forgotten jewellery. Cyril carried the treasure home to his palace and had built mounds of rising shining wealth all around him, hoping it would make him smile — but all he really wanted was to share it with others. Cyril sighed, the memories of people running from him whenever he waved to say hello and wagged his tiger striped body to impress them made him so very sad and alone. He pressed his many feet into the ground and tried to concentrate but his heart was too heavy to feel the vibrations of love he so wished to feel. Cyril slept.
The sun rose bright and beautiful in the sky the following morning and its rays touched Cyril’s stripes making them shine as brightly as the gold that surrounded him. Cyril felt happy again, it was a new day and there were new people, he could feel them all around. Cyril pressed his feet to the ground and he loved what he felt! Like a jolt of pure electricity there was the vibration of optimism and love pulsing through the earth like strings of golden light. These people were awesome! Maybe they would like him. Cyril allowed himself to quietly hope with the creepings of a smile upturning his mouth. By this point Cyril had learned to try to stay out of the way and just enjoy the energy as much as he could without bothering the people with the sight of him, he didn’t know why people were always trying to chase him with their enormous shoes but he’d decided their energy felt much nicer through the ground when they hadn’t seen him so he stayed hidden, quietly singing the conga as his tiger striped back bounced back and forth to the beat.
The people’s energy became stronger and stronger throughout the day and Cyril’s smile grew and grew until by the time the sun was beginning to set, and the people were gathered in a circle with the energy of transformational fire glowing at their cores, Cyril decided he just had to let them know he had a pile of treasure that they could use for good intent to help them along their path of fulfilling their purpose.
Cyril burst forth from the grass, tiger stripes sparkling and waving his hands, he had a little speech prepared, it began “Hey there! Please don’t take off your shoes, they make me scared, I just needed to tell you you’re awesome and…” but before he could tell them about the money and jewels the people’s energy had changed as they pointed at where he stood and he realised he better hide for now. Cyril crept away, feeling shunned and sad, he didn’t sing the conga. But as he passed the human stood by a container of fire he realised she wasn’t agitated, or at least not so much, and as he listened he heard her telling the others that centipedes like Cyril were signs of good fortune, that ancient peoples believed they were a sign of wealth and the slayer of dragons! She told them that every centipede she’d met had run away, that they weren’t as angry as everyone thought. Cyril pressed his many feet into the ground and felt the string of golden light reaching to this human’s heart and the love he felt soothed him, he sent his own love back and then feeling for the other humans he felt them light and happy again, with the fire of transformation at their cores and he felt ok. Maybe they weren’t ready to meet him yet and share his mounds of treasure but they seemed a little closer and that was enough for him for now. With a smile at his mouth and love in his heart, Cyril conga’d his way back to his palace and with his feet pressed to the earth feeling the souls all over the world he fell asleep, wondering what magic tomorrow would bring.
The end.
