Once upon a time, there was a beautiful planet, full of breathtaking landscapes, clean, clear, water, blue skies, and fertile soil that supported all kinds of flora and fauna. Animals enjoyed the sunshine, sweet smelling air, and delicious vegetation. The creator made one animal in particular, the human, to be custodians of the creation. They were given the task with the role of husbandry and partners with Mother Nature to keep everything balanced and tended.
Over time, though, the humans became proud and careless. They overpopulated the earth and took far more than their share of its bounty. Humans took away the habitats of other animals and when those animals ventured into the human settlements, they were killed, not for food, but out of fear, or for sport.
Some groups built weapons and drove other groups off the most fruitful and lovely pieces of land, to claim it for themselves. Some stripped Mother Nature’s riches and resources without providing for ways to replenish them. They forgot that Mother Nature was their partner, not their commodity. Some threw garbage and spilled oil into her oceans. Others watched in horror, but did not speak up to defend Mother Nature. Finally, pollution caused the climate to change. The planet became unbalanced and began to die.
Mother Nature spoke to the creator and said, “these humans you created are like petulant children! Tell them to respect us!” But the creator explained that both she and the humans had been given free will.
Mother Nature loved the humans, but she saw that they were killing her. Out of her illness, a deadly virus began to mutate. It spread among the humans and they began to die. At first it was just the sick and elderly, but then it began killing indiscriminately. The humans were panicked. They stayed at home and looked for ways to heal themselves. In doing so, they began to heal Mother Nature a little. The air began to clear with less automobile emissions. When the disease struck meat plants, people had to consider eating more vegetables and less meat. Changes were afoot!
• Ending No. 1:
Finally, the humans understood why the earth’s illness had become their own. They devoted themselves once more to be partners with Mother Nature to rein in the rampant overpopulation; grow sustainable crops; keep the air clean; and live in ways that would not make her sick. They limited the land and resources they took, allowing other animals their share. Finally, the human race grew from childhood into adulthood.
• Ending No. 2:
But, the humans held fast to their feelings of entitlement. They found a way to treat the virus and went back to overrunning the land with unchecked overpopulation, choked Mother Nature with their garbage, poisoned her oceans, and poked holes in the ozone. New viruses emerged and were tamed. The humans learned nothing and battered the planet until she died, and finally killed themselves, as well.