The Duck-Suckers of Pandora (legend)
From the Early Pandora Wiki Na'vi legend Wiki lore
The Duck-Suckers of Pandora is an old Na'vi legend passed down from grandparent to grandchild for hundreds of generations. In the best-known telling, Grandmother Ateyo tells it to two Omatikaya children, Sìl and her little brother Ri'tay, one warm night inside Hometree. Na'vi legend
The story
Beginning: the shy plant
That day the children had touched a loreyu and watched it curl into the ground. Ateyo asks if they know why it is so shy, then tells of a time before the loreyu, when the swamps were ruled by the giant, always-hungry Taktswìkyu and the little blue tak ducks it loved. She taps her fingers for the tak-tak call and puffs out her cheeks for the plant's bloop. Na'vi legend
Middle: the balance tips
For a long time the swamp stayed in balance, and Ateyo holds her hands level like a scale to show it. Then the Long Rains came, the plants grew greedy, and her hands begin to tip. Despite Ninat's warning, the plants eat every last duck. A young hunter finds the last tak, but is too late. In the hungry time that follows, a starving plant even slurps up a hunter's foot and spits out his sandal, and the children laugh. Then the swamps go dark. Na'vi legend
End: a second chance
At the very end, Ninat finds one tiny sprout that has learned to take only what it needs. When she touches it, it curls up and hides. It becomes the first loreyu. The story closes with Ri'tay curling up in his hammock "just like a little loreyu," and Ateyo's reminder to be gentle with them tomorrow. Na'vi legend
Characters
| Character | Who they are |
|---|---|
| Grandmother Ateyo | The storyteller, an Omatikaya elder Na'vi legend |
| Sìl | A curious girl who asks the big questions; she later becomes a storyteller herself Na'vi legend Wiki lore |
| Ri'tay | Her excitable little brother, about seven Na'vi legend |
| Ninat | The Tsahik in the story, who warns the plants Na'vi legend |
| The young hunter | Finds the last tak. Wiki lore says some clans call him Tarong, and that he became a great protector of animals Na'vi legend Wiki lore |
| The Taktswìkyu | The always-hungry duck-suckers Na'vi legend |
| The tak | The little blue ducks Na'vi legend |
How and when it is told
The legend is a bedtime story, told in the evening when the forest begins to glow. Na'vi legend Wiki lore adds that it is always told: Wiki lore
- On Ninat's Day, the yearly day of quiet when no one hunts or gathers.
- When a child takes more than they need, often in the short "Why the Loreyu Hides" version.
- When a clan's keeper of numbers reports that an animal is growing rare.
- To every child, at least once, before they twist their first rope at about age ten.
The storyteller's rule, passed down from Ateyo's grandmother Ma'li, is: "You may add one small thing of your own, but you must never take anything away." So every version is a little different, but none is shorter than the one before. Wiki lore
Other clans' versions
Because the early clans spread across Pandora, wiki lore says the story is told in different ways in different places: Wiki lore
| Clan | What is different |
|---|---|
| Omatikaya (forest) | Ateyo's version, with the hunter's sandal and the loreyu at the end |
| Reef clans (sea) | The plants live in a lagoon and eat small glowing fish; the survivor becomes a shy sea plant that pulls into the sand |
| Horse Clan (plains) | Told as a song while riding; the tak is a fast little bird that runs through the grass |
| Mountain clans | Told as a sky story; Naranawm, the great eye of Polyphemus, watches the whole thing happen |
All of them end with the same line. Wiki lore
Themes
- Balance. Nature works when nothing takes too much. Na'vi legend
- Greed. Wanting more "right now" can destroy tomorrow. Na'vi legend
- Listening. Ninat heard the warning through Eywa; the plants did not listen to her. Na'vi legend
- Second chances. From the last seed came something new and better. Na'vi legend
The famous line is "Take only what you need." Na'vi legend
Questions to think about
Ateyo always ended her stories with a question instead of an answer. Here are some to talk about. Wiki lore
- Was the Taktswìkyu bad, or just hungry? Is there a difference?
- Why do you think the plants did not listen to Ninat?
- The Long Rains seemed like good news at first. Can too much of a good thing be a problem?
- Why does the loreyu hide when it is touched? What is it remembering?
- Can you think of something on Earth that people took too much of? (Hint: see Lessons from Earth.)
- What is one thing you could take less of tomorrow?