It was a clear, sun-kissed morning on the open water. The sky stretched endlessly above, cloudless and shining, while gentle waves rocked a modest fishing boat. A lone fisherman—silver-haired and weathered by the salt and sun—had cast his lines and settled in for a tranquil day at sea.
Just then, a pelican swooped down from nowhere, landing on the rail of his boat with an elegance that belied its hefty bill and large wingspan. The fisherman froze, cup of water in hand, as this unexpected visitor bobbed and ruffled its feathers. There was something strangely confident in the bird’s posture, as though it believed itself no different from the man.
A Surprising Sip
Before the fisherman could shoo it away, the pelican craned its neck forward and tried to dip its long beak into the man’s cup. Startled, the fisherman pulled back—he didn’t want a beak in his drink, and besides, it hardly seemed sanitary to share water with a wild creature. He waved a hand, signaling the pelican away. The bird, however, had other ideas.
Undeterred, the pelican nudged closer, opening and closing its bill in what looked like an unmistakable demand for a drink. With a sigh, the man relented. Carefully, he tipped the cup so the pelican could sip without too much fuss. In those brief moments, the pelican’s swirling brown eyes seemed almost human—bright with curiosity and possessing a strange warmth that softened the fisherman’s initial annoyance.
The Cross Necklace
As the bird drank, its beak bumped into something shiny hanging around the fisherman’s neck: a small cross pendant that he’d worn for decades. Intrigued by the glint of metal, the pelican suddenly latched onto the necklace with its bill. The fisherman gasped. He tried to tug the chain free, but for a moment, the bird held on firmly, causing the cross to pull against his throat.
He managed to place his cup aside without spilling it, all the while keeping his balance on the gently rocking boat. “Easy there,” he murmured, as though coaxing a wayward child. The pelican blinked, as if realizing its own awkward mistake. It released the cross with a slight clack of its bill, and the fisherman quickly let out a breath of relief.
Harmony and Reflection
With the cross freed, the pelican hopped back, shaking its wings as if to apologize for the commotion. The fisherman touched the small cross, ensuring it remained intact. A bemused chuckle escaped his lips; he’d never imagined a day when he’d wrestle with a pelican over his own cup and cherished necklace.
After the initial shock passed, man and bird regarded each other. In that moment, the fisherman wondered if perhaps the pelican was showing its own form of companionship or trust—a reminder that nature can be as curious about us as we are about it. Instead of rebuffing the bird’s friendly, if clumsy, gestures, he retrieved a small fish from his cooler and placed it gently at the pelican’s feet. With a grateful squawk, it clamped the fish in its bill.
A Gentle Farewell
Moments later, as if it had other errands on the horizon, the pelican spread its immense wings and took to the sky. The fisherman followed it with his gaze until the speck of white merged with the distant horizon. Alone once again, he sat quietly with the gentle ocean breezes and the rhythmic lapping of waves against the hull.
Though the pelican’s visit was brief, the fisherman felt unexpectedly renewed—reminded of nature’s wonder and the surprising bonds that can form between humans and the wild. He turned back to his fishing lines, a slight smile playing on his sun-chapped lips, and lightly touched the cross on his chest. The day continued on, but he knew he would carry this singular encounter—a man, a pelican, and the infinite sea—with him forever.