The Duck-Suckers of Pandora (legend)

From the Early Pandora Wiki Na'vi legend

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

Summary

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.

For a long time the swamp stayed in balance. Then the Long Rains came, the plants grew greedy, and despite Ninat's warning they ate every last duck. In the hungry time that followed, the swamps went dark. At the very end, Ninat finds one tiny sprout that has learned to take only what it needs. 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

• Grandmother Ateyo, the storyteller
• Sìl, a curious girl
• Ri'tay, her excitable little brother
• Ninat, the Tsahik in the story
• A young hunter who finds the last tak

Themes

Balance, greed, connection through Eywa, and second chances. The famous line is "Take only what you need."