At the zoo the boy found the keeper, now semi-retired and training his successor. Since hearing of the Merlion’s condition he had begun searching through his belongings for what he hoped would be the key to ending it. For, like the boy, he believed it was time to find another Merlion.
He had come to call the affair, “Singapore’s Shame“, though the sin, he ultimately felt, was his. Even though he’d not been the only one to know, that he’d been encouraged to keep quiet because, “The Merlion was their miracle, a blessing for Singapore.”
Many years before, the keeper had led an expedition to find animals to bolster the zoo’s collection. All around South East Asia they had travelled capturing specimens to take back home. During the voyage they had sought refuge from a storm in a sheltered natural harbour on an unchartered isle. Inland, in a sort of secret sea water pool, they discovered a pack of Merlions.
The keeper snuck up on them in the dead of night and took a Merlion cub for the collection (only one did he dare, not wanting to disturb these fearsome looking creatures) and they left the island soon after before the cub’s family could do anything.
As he and the Merlion grew, as the Merlion began to talk, grew up and left for the seas, the keeper began to regret his decisions and his lies. And so now he gave the boy a map charting the Island of the Merlions.
He had come to call the affair, “Singapore’s Shame“, though the sin, he ultimately felt, was his. Even though he’d not been the only one to know, that he’d been encouraged to keep quiet because, “The Merlion was their miracle, a blessing for Singapore.”
Many years before, the keeper had led an expedition to find animals to bolster the zoo’s collection. All around South East Asia they had travelled capturing specimens to take back home. During the voyage they had sought refuge from a storm in a sheltered natural harbour on an unchartered isle. Inland, in a sort of secret sea water pool, they discovered a pack of Merlions.
The keeper snuck up on them in the dead of night and took a Merlion cub for the collection (only one did he dare, not wanting to disturb these fearsome looking creatures) and they left the island soon after before the cub’s family could do anything.
As he and the Merlion grew, as the Merlion began to talk, grew up and left for the seas, the keeper began to regret his decisions and his lies. And so now he gave the boy a map charting the Island of the Merlions.
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