(inspiré d'une légende des indiens Maya)   

Il y a bien longtemps déjà, alors que le monde n’était pas tout à fait achevé, le Grand dieu Maya continua son oeuvre. Debout, devant le lieu sacré où il a conçu jadis les différentes espèces d’oiseaux, il remarqua des morceaux éparpillés çà et là : quelques restes de plumes grisâtres, un long bec mince, des os et des muscles minuscules.

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 Avec l’idée de récupérer ces restes laissés là depuis sa première création, inspiré, il les rassembla pour former un petite charpente d’oiseau auquel il ajouta un long bec. Puis il donna à sa nouvelle créature le cadeau de la vie.

© Sybil-Shane "Heart-Song "

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L’oiseau ouvrit ses ailes minuscules, puis ses yeux noirs lumineux et regarda le Grand dieu Maya. Craignant que sa petite taille et son long bec lui soient défavorables, le Grand dieu lui donna le pouvoir de voler de toutes les manières. Cette polyvalence lui permettra d’aller vers le nectar des fleurs, une nourriture qu’aucun oiseau ne pouvait jusqu’alors atteindre aussi facilement.

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                          D’un léger souffle, il poussa le petit oiseau à la découverte d’un lieu de vie sur la Terre. Avec le temps, le peuple maya a nommé ce plus petit oiseau le Dzunuume.

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                  L’onomathopée concerne le son émis par l’oiseau en vol. L’air qui passait à travers ses plumes laissait entendre un bruit comme « dzu-nu-ume, dzu-nu-ume ».

© T-C-Chiu " Hummingbirds with Iris "

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                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                      Naturellement, le Grand dieu Maya savait bien qu’un seul oiseau de cette espèce n’était pas suffisant : chaque créature/être vivant doit avoir son compagnon, pensait-il. Il a donc fait appel à ses pouvoirs magiques et tout à coup, il est apparu des plumes plus grisâtres, des os minuscules et un long bec. Il les a assemblés eux aussi et pour ensuite donner à ce nouveau petit oiseau le cadeau de la vie. Une fois les deux oiseaux réunis, il demanda à Dzunuume et à sa nouvelle compagne de célébrer ce jour comme un jour de mariage et de vivre heureux pour toujours.

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                  Des curieux accoururent pour voir les mariés et pour prendre part à la célébration. Quelques araignées dévouées ont tissé des toiles comme décoration de la voie nuptiale, ornement que la mariée qu’elle pourrait employer pour construire un nid. « Oh, tout sera si beau ! », gazouilla le pinson à la cape et la gorge aussi rouge que le piment de cayenne.

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                     « Tout ce qu’il y a de plus beau pour une belle mariée et un bel époux. Le plus beau ». Il s’arrêta brusquement. Dzunuume et sa compagne n’étaient vraiment pas beaux. Leurs plumes étaient d’un gris mat et terne. Aucune jolie couleur ne les enjolivait. Le pinson regarda les autres oiseaux autour : « Nous devons faire quelque chose pour embellir ces deux petits oiseaux gris. »

© Carolyn-Shores " Wright Anna's with Azaleas "

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                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                               Le Quetzal à longue queue, l’oiseau le plus splendide de tout le monde maya, fut le premier à parler : « Servez-vous de mes plumes », offrit-il, tout en répandant de longues plumes vertes de sa queue. « Prenez une partie des miennes », suivit l’Hirondelle à face blanche, en s’inclinant assez bas pour rendre accessibles les plumes blanche perle de sa poitrine.

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                               « Maintenant vous avez besoin d’une écharpe de plumes rouges », lança le pinson. Il donna tant de plumes rouges à Dzunuume qu’il n’en resta qu’une ou deux pour la petite mariée.

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        Avant que quiconque n’ajoute une autre couleur, le Soleil, venu par derrière un nuage, annonça aux deux petits manteaux verts ???? qu’ils étaient mariés pour toujours.

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 Comme bénédiction, il leur lança un de ses rayons de lumière qui frappa directement la gorge de Dzunuume, la faisant briller de rouge et d’or, comme une flamme jaillissante. « Oh-h-h ! Ah-h-h ! », s’est écrié la bande d’amis. les oiseaux, les papillons, les araignées émerveillés.

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                           Aussitôt, un autre rayon de soleil illumina les plumes vertes arrière, comme une pierre de jade poli. « Oh-h-h ! Ah-h-h ! », ont-ils tous répété en choeur.

© T. C. Chiu

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Avant de partir, le Soleil s’engagea dans une promesse solennelle :

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                              « Les plumes de tous les colibris brilleront toujours avec cette magie de feu et de jade », dit-il. « À la condition qu’elles regardent dans ma direction.

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                Mais toutes les fois qu’elles tourneront le dos à la lumière, leurs plumes s’obscurciront, pour leur rappeler leur origine : les plumes grises qu’ils avaient d’abord portées ». Et c’est depuis ce jour, qu’a chaque fois que les colibris se tiennent loin de la lumière du Soleil, certaines de leurs plumes brillantes s’obscurcissent, comme le feu qui se transforme en cendres.