tale 51 alone Written by Rainer: rainer.lehrer@yahoo.com Learn languages (via Skype): Rainer: + 36 20 549 52 97 or + 36 20 334 79 74

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Alone He didn't know if he'd been here for a few hours, a day, or even two days because he'd collapsed exhausted. Actually a dream place with a sandy beach, sun and palm trees. Coconuts were hanging from them, but a little high if you didn't have a ladder. He thought he had to find water because he was thirsty, eat because he was hungry and then find out where he was. He walked a little along the beach and saw something like a small opening in the thick undergrowth. He approached, looked inside, it was a small stream with tasteless water. But it was not salty, so it was drinkable. Sitting for a long time, lifting his hand to his mouth again and again, quenching his seemingly endless thirst. The heavy water lay in his stomach and made him tired, he fell asleep. When he woke up again, he saw the moon and stars in the sky and it was quiet. Nothing moved, but the silence was good for him. The storm, which had brought him here, was still in his bones. His skin itched, so he washed the salt off his skin. Part of the way between the sea and the thicket lay an overturned banana palm. This had fallen victim to the storm, but the fruit forced his digestive system to resume work. After a couple of hours of walk, the coastline became rocky and the surf was stronger. A geologist would have known that the sea currents that were flowing here prevented sand from being deposited. It was long over cliffs and rocks before it became sandy again. He was hungry and thirsty again, satisfied them with bird eggs, fallen fruit and coconuts, beetles, mussels, hand-caught raw fish, crabs and small turtles. After three days, he found footprints and a few hours later a small stream. Now he was sure, it was an island and he had walked around once. After a few days, he went into the interior of the island, soon knew every tree, shrub and bird, knew where they were hatching and only ever took one egg so that they did not leave the nest but lay a new egg instead. He hadn't spoken for a long time. Now he tried out his voice. The words didn't come easily to his lips, then he sang songs from his memory. It sounded pretty wrong. He tried again and again, at least wanted to hear himself when he couldn't speak to anyone. Sometimes it was easier to imitate the call of different birds. He didn't actually notice it, but he spoke less and less aloud to himself. His thoughts also changed from day to day and soon were limited to: cold - warm, day - night, hunger - thirst, only a little with a ship - get away from here - rescue. Then one day, sitting on one of the coral reefs to catch fish with his homemade spear, he saw a sailing ship on the horizon. At first, a smile appeared around his mouth. However, he couldn't remember why this should have been a reason to be happy. He knew it from somewhere, but he didn't know how to connect it to anything. He bared his teeth like at a threat. Then he swam back to the island to hide. Continue with tale 52!

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