האם גז טבעי משמעותו שלום ושגשוג? EARL SHUGERMAN

The people of Israel and Turkey have ties that date back to the early days of the Old Testament. Friendship has generally been the nature of the relationship with ups and downs along the way. Our two nations can help build peace and prosperity in our region by developing and distributing huge energy reserves that lay under the waters off the coast of my home of Haifa. Many of our neighbors in the region should benefit as well.

לקשרים בין אזרחי ישראל לבין אזרחי טורקיה יש היסטוריה רבת שנים כבר מימיה המוקדמים של הברית הישנה. הידידות בין העמים היתה מבוססת בדרך כלל על קשרי חברות שידעו עליות ומורדות לאורך הדרך. שתי האומות שלנו יכולות לסייע לבניית שלום ושגשוג באזורנו בכך שהן יפתחו וישווקו את משאבי הטבע העצומים של אנרגיה המצויים מתחת למימי הים התיכון ממש לא רחוק מחופי העיר שלי חיפה. רבים משכנינו באזור יוכלו גם הם להרוויח תועלת משיתוף פעולה זה.

אני יושב בבית קפה כפיות במרכז הכרמל בחיפה שותה להנאתי סאות'רן קומפורט בזמן שאני צופה בנוף המרהיב של הנמל מהפאב האהוב עליי. הנמל גדוש באוניות מסחר וספינות תענוגות כולל אוניות העושות דרכן לטורקיה, אוניות מסחר ויאכטות מכל הסוגים. מנהל בית הקפה ששמו אבי מוצאו ממשפחת ימאים. אביו היה אחד ממנהלי הנמל והוא מבלה את רוב שנותיו כגימלאי העוסק בצלילה ושייט. עובדי בית הקפה כפיות וכן האורחים נוהגים לנהל שיחות בנושאי השלום באזורנו והפיתוח הכלכלי הבלתי יאמן של מדינת ישראל במהלך שישים וחמש השנים האחרונות. ייתכן והמענה לשגשוג כלכלי גדול יותר ולחיזוק הקשרים עם שכנינו נמצא למעשה מתחת למימי אגן הים התיכון מעט מחוץ לחופי חיפה. 

בית קפה כפיות ביפה נוף בחיפה

 שתי תגליות גדולות של מאגרי גז התרחשו באזור זה במהלך שנת 2009 ושנת 2010. מאגר שדה הגז קידוח תמר ממוקם באזור הסחר הכלכלי הבלעדי של מדינת ישראל כ 80 ק"מ בקירוב (50 מייל) מערבית לחיפה במימי הים בעומק של כ 1,700 מטרים (5,600 רגל). מאחר ובמהלך הדורות היו תגליות ספורות בלבד של נפט וגז בישראל, תגלית זו היתה הראשונה בסדר גודל כזה במדינה. תמר לבדה, כך מעריכים, תוכל לספק כ 50-80% מצרכי הגז הטבעי של מדינת ישראל למשך עשור.

שדה הגז של קידוח לויתן הוא שדה הגז הטבעי השני בגודלו והוא ממוקם בים התיכון מעט מחוץ לחופי ישראל, כ 47 ק"מ (29 מייל) דרומית-מערבית לקידוח תמר. הקידוח נמצא 130 ק"מ בקירוב (81 מייל) מערבית לחופי חיפה, בעומק של 1,500 מטרים (4,900 רגל) באזור האגן הלבנטיני, שהוא אזור עשיר בפחמימן מסוג הידרוקרבון (תרכובות אורגניות המכילות אך ורק אטומי פחמן ומימן) ונחשב לאחת מתגליות הגז הגדולות ביותר מחוץ לגבולות מדינה כלשהי בעשור האחרון. לשתי התגליות לבדן ישנה היכולת לספק למדינת ישראל את צרכי האנרגיה שלה ובנוסף להוות ספקיות ויצואניות אנרגיה במהלך השניים הבאות תוך שהן מפיקות הטבות כלכליות משמעותיות.

לתגליות הגז יש גם את הפוטנציאל לשנות את יחסי החוץ של מדינת ישראל ולהביא לשיתוף פעולה צמוד יותר עם מדינות כמו קפריסין, טורקיה, מצרים והרשות הפלשתינית השכנה. האפשרות לחזק את הקשרים בין ישראל לבין טורקיה זוכה לסיקור תקשורתי גבוה בקרוב העיתונות והמדיה ומהווה דוגמא אחת מיני רבות.

לפני כמעט ארבע שנים, במהלך פשיטה של ישראל על ספינת הנוסעים המרמרה שעשתה דרכה לעזה טרפה את הקלפים במערכת היחסים הקרובה יחסית ששררה בין שתי המדינות. ישראל וטורקיה עשו מאמצים רבים בחודשים האחרונים כדי לחדש את הקשרים הדיפלומטיים ביניהן, לחזק את שיתוף הפעולה ולצמצם את הנזק שנגרם. שתי המדינות עושות ניסיון להתקרב וכבר חתמו על טיוטת הסכם שבא לפצות את טורקיה על מותם של מפגינים שהיו על סיפונה של הספינה, ברגע שיושלם אמור ההסכם לשחזר את היחסים הדיפלומטיים המלאים. במקביל ממשיכות שתי המדינות לקיים קשרי סחר ולקדם תיירות הדדית שאמורה להתרחב עם ההקלה במתחים הדיפלומטיים. 

נמל חיפה

אחד מהרווחים האפשריים לקשר בין המדינות יכול להיות מסלול יצוא לגז הטבעי בישראל. לישראל ישנה הזדמנות להוות מוביל מרכזי שבאמצעותו היא תוכל להנות בעצמה מעושרו של הגז הטבעי שלה ובמקביל לייצר לשוק באמצעות צינור תת ימי שיקשר בין ישראל לטורקיה. השוק הטורקי לגז הטבעי הינו היחיד באזור שהולך ומתפתח והדחף של טורקיה להרחיב את השוק מחוץ לרוסיה יצדיק את אספקת הגז מישראל בנוסף לאספקת הגז האזארי, האיראני והכורדי.

בחודשים האחרונים ישראל כבר חתמה על הסכמי אנרגיה עם ירדן והרשות הפלשתינית. ישראל וירדן חתמו על הסכם של 500 מיליון דולר לאספקת גז טבעי. ההסכם עשוי להתרחב לכדי שיתוף פעולה בסדר גודל של 30 מיליארד דולר ולהפוך את ישראל לספק העיקרי של גז טבעי לירדן. אם הכל יפעל כשורה בההתפתחויות האחרונות נוכל לראות את צינורות הגז הראשונים שיונחו בין ישראל לטורקיה כבר בשנת 2015, ושיתוף פעולה בתחום הגז בין ישראל למצרים יאפשר גישה ליצוא לשווקים מרכזיים ברחבי אסיה.

בזמן כתיבת מאמר זה החלו להתפרסם דיווחים ראשוניים על המשא ומתן בין ישראל למצרים בנוגע להסכמי אנרגיה. לישראל ומצרים היו קשרים כלכליים מוגבלים בלבד מאז החתימה על הסכם השלום בשנת 1979. ההפיכה הפוליטית וחילופי השלטון במצרים בשנים האחרונות צמצמו עוד יותר את הקשרים שלה עם המדינות השכנות.

יצוא הגז מישראל יוכל לסייע להקל על המחסור הביתי, לחזק את הכלכלה המצרית, לשכך במעט את חוסר היציבות הפוליטית הפנימית במצרים וכן לתמוך בקשרי המסחר והתיירות בין שתי המדינות.


אנו בישראל ויהודים בכל העולם סיימנו זה עתה לחגוג את חג הפסח, שמציין את היציאה לחירות ממצרים לפני שלושת אלפים שנה. העם היהודי נדד באלפיים השנים האחרונות מחוץ לארץ מולדתו - ארץ ישראל. לפני שישים וחמש שנים הארץ הוחזרה לנו כדי שנוכל לבנות עליה את חוף המבטחים ליהודים מכל העולם, אך רבים מרגישים שזוהי גם התגשמותה של נבואה תנכית. יהודים, מוסלמים ונוצרים חיים כאן יחד באופן דמוקרטי למדיי ובחברה בעלת חוסן כלכלי. ייתכן שבאמת "ארץ זבת חלב ודבש" מכוונת בתנ"ך העברי לעושר החקלאי הקיים בארץ ישראל. הפסוק המציין זאת נמצא בספר שמות בהתגלות הסנה הבוער לפני משה .[3:1–22] האם ייתכן שחלב ודבש בעולם של ימינו יהיו הנפט והגז הטבעי? מי יודע! בכל מקרה, אני וחבריי בבית קפה כפיות מוסרים לכל הקוראים דרישת שלום לבבית ושולחים ברכת שלום מחיפה, "עיר הדו-קיום לשלום".












 

NATURAL GAS - PEACE AND PROSPERITY? BY EARL SHUGERMAN

I am sitting here at The Kapiot Café in Haifa drinking a Southern Comfort while enjoying the beautiful view of the Namal (port) at my favorite pub. The port is laden with shipping both commercial and pleasure including passenger ships bound for Turkey, commercial freighters, and yachts of various dimensions. The manager of the café, Avi comes from a maritime family. His dad was one of the port managers and he spends much of his retirement boating and diving. Both the crew of the Kapiot and guests often discuss the search for peace in our region and the incredible economic growth of Eretz Israel in the past sixty five years. The answer to even greater prosperity and stronger ties with our neighbors may well lie under the Mediterranean waters just off the Haifa coast.
 

Kapiot Cafe, Haifa

Two potentially huge natural gas discoveries occurred in this region in 2009 and 2010. The Tamar gas field is located in Israel's exclusive economic zone, roughly 80 kilometers (50 mi) west of Haifa in waters 1,700 meters (5,600 ft) deep. While there have been small oil and gas discoveries in Israel over the decades, it was the first large one in the country. Tamar alone, it is estimated, could provide 50% to 80% of Israel’s natural-gas needs for a decade.

The Leviathan gas field is a second large natural gas field located in the Mediterranean Sea off the coast of Israel, 47 kilometers (29 mi) south-west of the Tamar gas field. The gas field is located roughly 130 kilometers (81 mi) west of Haifa in waters 1,500 meters (4,900 ft) deep in the Levantine basin, a rich hydrocarbon area in one of the world's largest offshore gas finds of the past decade. These two discoveries alone offer Israel the potential to serve its own energy needs and be an energy exporter within the next several years producing substantial economic benefits.

The gas finds also have the potential to change Israel's foreign relations towards a closer collaboration with Cyprus, Turkey, Jordan, Egypt and our Palestinian neighbors.

The possible enhancement of ties between Turkey and Israel receives a lot of press attention and is a one possible example.

Nearly four years ago, an Israeli raid on a Turkish ship MV Mavi Marmara bound for Gaza unhinged the relatively close relationship between the two countries.

Israel and Turkey have made efforts to mend diplomatic ties in recent months to resolve this damage and improve ties. The two nations have grown closer and have signed a draft agreement to compensate Turkey for the deaths of protesters aboard the ship; once finalized, the agreement restores full diplomatic ties. The two nations continue to trade and promote mutual tourism, which should expand with the easing of diplomatic tensions.

One of the benefits to the nations could be an export route for Israeli natural gas. A leading option for Israel to get its natural-gas riches to the market is an undersea pipeline linking Israel and Turkey. The Turkish market for natural gas is the only growing one (in the region), and the drive to diversify away from Russia will justify Israeli gas to join Azeri, Iranian and Kurdish gas.

In recent months Israel has already signed energy deals with Jordan and the Palestinian Authority. Israel and Jordan signed $500 million natural gas deal.
The accord may grow into $30-billion partnership for Israel to become Jordan’s main supplier.

If all goes well, the latest developments could see first pipelines being laid between Israel and Turkey as soon as 2015, and gas cooperation between Israel and Egypt would allow export access to Asia's major markets.

I am writing this story while energy negotiation involving Israel and Egypt have been reported. Egypt and Israel have had only limited economic cooperation since signing a landmark peace accord in 1979. Political turmoil in Egypt in recent years has further limited cooperation between the neighboring countries.

Israeli gas could help ease domestic shortages, bolster the Egyptian economy, alleviate internal political unrest, and bolster trade and tourism between the two nations.

We in Israel and Jews throughout the world have just completed celebrating the holiday of Passover, which commemorates our flight to freedom out of Egypt three thousand years ago. The Jewish people spent the last two thousand years without our ancestral homeland, Eretz Israel. Sixty five years ago it was returned to us to build both a safe haven for Jews throughout the world, but many feel this also fulfills Biblical prophecy. Jews, Muslims, and Christians live together in a fairly democratic and economically robust society. Perhaps, indeed these prophecies include “a land flowing with milk and honey which" is a reference in the Hebrew Bible to the agricultural abundance of the ancient Land of Israel. The phrase is used in the Book of Exodus during Moses' vision of the burning bush.[3:1–22] Could milk and honey in today's world be oil and natural gas? Who knows! In either case, I and my friends at The Kapiot Café offer our readers a hearty Shalom or peace from Haifa, “The City of Peaceful Coexistence”.

THE HOLIDAY OF MATZOS (OR PASSOVER) BY EARL SHUGERMAN and Danit Tubi

Matzos

Last week I attended an English speaking Shiur (lesson) at the Dan Panorma Chabad Center in Haifa. Twice a month our Rabbi Levi Itzhak sponsors an educational program for the English speaking residents of our community. In our session we studied the history, traditions, and the unique spiritual perspectives of Passover. First let me give the readers a brief synopsis of Pesach. 

Passover or Pesach in Hebrew is an important Jewish festival. The Jewish people celebrate Passover as a commemoration of their liberation over 3,300 years ago from slavery in ancient Egypt. It is also known as the Holiday of Matzo (unleavened bread) in the Torah or often Herut (freedom).

The Holiday of Matzo commences on the 15th of the Hebrew month of Nisan and lasts for either seven days (in Israel) or eight days (in the diaspora). The reason for this extra day is due to an enactment by the ancient Jewish sages. It is thought by many scholars that Jews outside of Israel could not be certain if their local calendars fully conforming to practices of the Temple in Jerusalem. Therefore, they added an extra day. The rituals unique to the holiday celebrations commence with the Passover Seder. The holiday occurs in the spring as the Torah prescribes it: "in the month of [the] spring" (בחדש האביב Exodus 23:15). It is one of the most widely recognized Jewish celebrations.

In the narrative of the Exodus, the Bible tells that God helped the Children of Israel escape from their slavery in Egypt by inflicting ten plagues upon the ancient Egyptians before Pharaoh would release his Israelite slaves. The tenth and worst of the plagues was the death of the Egyptian first-born (Bechor in Hebrew).

The Israelites were instructed to mark the doorposts of their homes with the blood of a slaughtered spring lamb and, upon seeing this, the spirit of the Lord knew to pass over the first-born in these homes, hence the name of the holiday. When the Pharaoh freed the Israelites, it is said that they left in such a hurry that they could not wait for bread dough to rise (leaven). In commemoration, for the duration of Passover no leavened bread is eaten. It is for that reason that it is called "The Festival of the Unleavened Bread" or Matzos. 

.The story of the Korban of Pesach is told at the Passover Seder. The word "Seder" (סדר) means "order" or "arrangement". One of the symbolic food items displayed (but not eaten) on the Seder Plate is the Zeroa (shankbone) or a chicken wing or neck. 

When the Temple in Jerusalem was standing, the focus of the Passover festival was the sacrifice (Hebrew Korban of Pesach) also known as the "Paschal Lamb". Today, in the absence of the Temple, the mitzvah of the Korban of Pesach is memorialized in the Seder instead. The eating of the Afikoman substitutes for the eating of the Korban at the end of the meal.


The consumption, keeping, and owning of Chametz or leavened bread is forbidden during Passover. Yeast and fermentation are not themselves forbidden as seen for example by wine, which is required, rather than merely permitted.

The Torah commandments regarding Chametz are:

- To remove all Chametz from one's home, including things made with Chametz, before the first day of Passover.

- To refrain from eating Chametz or mixtures containing Chametz during Passover.

- Not to possess Chametz in one's domain during Passover.


During our Shiur (lesson), a guest Rabbi compared leavened bread and Matzo to the purity of our souls. Matzo can be considered humanity at its purest form, while leavened bread might represent the arrogance and self-centered nature of mankind. Moses was known as the most humble (עניו) of all people. Herut (freedom), from a spiritual sense, can be seen as striving to better fulfill our spiritual obligations and utilize our skills and talents in a righteous way. These concepts have special meanings to those of us leaving in Israel, as for the first time in 2000 years we have independence and freedom in our ancestral Jewish home land. 

THE STORY OF TZIKI (PART 2) BY Alexandra Lednichenko

This story was written as a birthday present for my mother, who was the main inspiration for Tziki's  charachter. Thanks for reading from Alex.



                                                                         4 

Manny the old groundhog was having quite a bad day. Stewart chased him all morning through the Forest and all the way down to the Creek, nearly giving him a heart attack every time he felt his paws stretching forward to grab him, missing by mere centimeters. Even in his younger days Manny wasn’t quite the athlete who would choose to spend his leisure time stretching his paws in running exercises, and now that he was old and weathered all he really wanted was to find a nice patch of grass to lie on, so he could bask in the afternoon sunlight. Apparently Stewart felt differently about this matter.

Manny was panting badly, leaning on the bark of the old Oak tree. He couldn’t figure what was so special about his soft groundhog anatomy that made him particularly mouthwatering for foxes, but he had about enough of it. Holding on to his furry backside that was sore from all this running, a grim realization came to cloud Manny’s mind - the dream of freedom and safety that he had been nursing since the last fall proved to be a hopeless case, because for some unfathomable reason, young and energetic Tziki wasn’t hunting chickens in the village like she was supposed to do. What might have possibly gone wrong? Foxes eat chickens - that was a widely known fact. The knowledge of hunting them was a legacy passing down by generations, and what was happening now was a deeply disturbing abomination of all Forest rules. Manny decided he wasn’t going to let this go. He would pluck his courage and go talk to Tziki in order to understand what was it that prevented her from providing for her parents. That is, if she doesn’t eat him first.

Manny decided to talk Rupert into helping him. That would be no easy task – making a sensible conversation with Rupert was nearly impossible. His mind would wander to anything ranging from a-corns to Forest’s policy on eating hikers, none of which was related to the topic of the conversation. Manny racked his brain intensely over the matter, and after all due consideration he decided he needed Rupert at least as means of transportation, if not intimidation.

After what seemed like a never-ending persuasion, Rupert agreed to take Manny on his back to see Tziki. Manny wasn’t quite sure that Rupert understood what it was that he had to do, and he was a bit afraid that Rupert would take him straight to Stewart instead. After all, for all Rupert knew, there were three foxes in the forest, and they were all the same to him.

To Manny’s genuine amazement, Rupert took him straight to the Meadow – Tziki’s favorite place in the whole Forest. Trudging heavily on the grass, stumping out a population of dandelions as he went, Rupert grunted “Small fox", "By the Willow”. Manny looked in the direction of Rupert’s dull stare and saw Tziki, lying beneath the shadow of a Willow tree, submerged in reading. “Reading?!” Manny nearly choked, “What business does she have reading? She’s supposed to hunt!” 

.

                                                                       5
Tziki spotted Manny and his heavy companion straight away. It was really hard not to notice Rupert, whose stumping could be heard all through the Valley even if you were half deaf. She decided to remain silent though, hoping they would leave. Tziki was busy poring over a massive scroll of parchment she attained from the chicken coop. It was an ancient looking, weathered scroll, bearing the red letters “Learn your BocBock-uck”, and getting it from the chickens wasn’t an easy task. After revealing herself to the chickens the other day, great panic rose among the coop dwellers; the chickens spread around the yard squawking hysterically, and the old Rooster came galloping from the bushes in a fit of battle cries, ready to pounce.

Tziki recalled the events of that evening in her mind.

It took nearly all her energy to reason with them and explain that she was not going to eat them, which of course they did not believe, and just kept eyeing her suspiciously. That gave her some time to explain how she came to hunt them, and how she couldn’t help overhearing them speak, and how from that moment on she was enchanted and knew that her only purpose in the world would be to learn their beautiful language and perhaps teach it. Tziki smiled to herself as she remembered how these particular words made some of the chickens faint, and others clap their wings to their beaks in utter disbelief.

"This is madness! You’re a fox! Your people raid our coops, steal our women, and stew our children! I bet this is one of your cheap new tricks designed to take over our lands!” The Rooster, whose name was Gareth, flapped his wings at Tziki, sending small specks of dust flying all around. “Go away before I claw your eyes out, filthy murderer!”

Tziki took no offence at this haughty pronouncement. After all, there was a point to what Gareth was saying – breaking the food hierarchy was not something one would do in an instant.

“I’m not going anywhere. Think of the opportunities! We could build something new here in the Valley, and perhaps even spread it on! We could tour the world and make other foxes and chickens cooperate. Your people will suffer no more, and we could learn so much from you!”

“And who will take our place in your filthy dining habits, some other poor creature?”

“We could eat insects- snakes, and dung beetles, and scorpions!”

“And how could I be sure that one day you won’t get a craving for some poultry? This is madness”

Tziki was starting to get annoyed by this feathered non-believer. She came as close to learning the Chicknease as learning to fly.

“Look here, Rooster. I am a free fox; I can do whatever I want. I don’t care what the big book of Forest rules says; I want to teach your language to little chirping chicks! I don’t want to eat anyone, or hurt anyone or hunt; I want to be a scholar!” Tziki’s eyes welled up with bitter tears of frustration. She never wanted something as badly as this, and she felt that this mean Rooster was taking her dream away.

Gareth was taken slightly aback. There was something about this scrawny fox that confused him.

“Let the Forest Owl decide. She will know what to do.”

***

Grandma Owl was submerged in a sleepy drowsiness, stirring only to shake loose feathers and leaves off her back, but when she saw the strange party approach her home out of the corner of her sleepy amber eye, she nearly jumped out of her feathery coat. After all, a rooster and a fox, strolling side by side, is a truly odd thing to witness.

Grandma Owl was awake in an instant, waiting for the strange pair to come closer.

“Who goes there?” she hooted for formality’s sake, even though she knew very well who was approaching her home in wide strides. She knew Gareth the Rooster since he was a little chick, and Tziki was frequently consulting her in matters of importance. But what brought this pair together, she couldn’t possibly imagine.

“It’s me, Grandma Owl, Tziki. We came to seek your advice.” Gareth was digging nervously into the moist ground with his claws, so she or our heroine decided to take the matters into her own paws.

“And what would be the matter in question?” asked Grandma Owl. She had a fondness for frilly pronouncements and twisting turns of speech, which was what made her advices sound noble and sophisticated, even though she herself thought them to be simple truths that others failed to recognize.

“Grandma Owl, you know how it has been a tradition for us foxes to hunt chickens in the nearby village. For generations now we have been holding on to this wacky routine, fighting each other to death, only to sustain a habit of murderous nature. We could resort to eating insects and other pests instead, rid the Forest of their harmful existence, and keep the chickens alive as well!”

“What are you implying, child?”

“All I’m saying is… it’s just that only this very morning I was about to become a vicious hunter go myself, guided by my parents and a path that was chosen for me by Elder foxes that I did not know, and a set of circumstances I was never a part of.“

“Rules are written for a reason, child. Legacies are dictated by experience, sometimes bitter as a Mandrake Root” Grandma Owl hooted proudly, secretly joyous at the fact of creating a new simile.

“I can’t follow this path, Grandma…the thing is…” Tziki lingered for a while, searching for words that would make her argument sound as reasonable as possible, “I don’t want to hunt chickens but rather learn their language and become a scholar; I want to teach in the High Academy for Chicken Language, if there is such a thing.”

Gareth voiced his shock by swearing loudly in Chicknease.

“Quiet, Rooster!” Grandma Owl bellowed. She was utterly baffled by the outrageous things Tziki was proposing. She faced her again, “And what is to become of Martha and Stewart? Are you aware of the stingy bitterness of betrayal they are about to experience at the hand of their own daughter?”

“I am!” Tziki piped out in a small voice. “…But Grandma...they told me I could be anything. From the day I opened my eyes for the first time and saw the Sun hanging high in the Sky above the tree tops, I knew that this world was bigger than just this Forest, just this Valley. I was taught that I could pursue any dream of mine the way I’d choose, and this is my dream.”

“Midsummer Dream Chicken-O-Grill, I’d call it”, Gareth snorted. “Tell this snotty little rascal that she’s is talking nonsense!” His earlier softness towards Tziki vanished without a trace.

“Silence!” she wailed as Grandma Owl looked deeply into Tziki’s eyes as if to say something important. She stared back at this old, wise bird, waiting for a simple solution to reveal itself, when the Owl clicked her beak thoughtfully and said: “Hold fast to dreams, for if dreams die, life is a broken winged bird that cannot fly.”

And then, without adding another hoot, she took off into the night. A few minutes passed as Tziki and Gareth pondered these words, and then spoke again, smiling gleefully at Gareth.

“So…how does it work? Do I get textbooks? Or will you teach me yourself?”

                                                                             6

Manny hopped through the tall grass that almost came to cover his nose. He was determined to put some reason into this silly fox’s mind, since he couldn’t simply live under this new regime anymore. As he got closer, he started to think of the things he would say to Tziki. Should he threaten her? No, that wouldn’t work. How could he? He was no hero, and he had nothing to intimidate her with. Should he plead? That wouldn’t work either; she would probably just eat him.

What should he do then?

Manny approached the Willow tree, shifting his weight from one paw to another. He coughed gently to attract her attention, but Tziki seemed to be too deeply submerged into her reading.

“Excuse me…Tziki?

She turned to face him at once, putting away her parchments. Manny swallowed and puffed out his furry chest.

“I came to tell you that…I have to say, it’s really starting to...I don’t want to get eaten!!!” he squealed, bursting into tears.

Tziki’s heart throbbed with pity. She wasn’t all that fond of Manny, and she always thought of him as just an old, lazy groundhog who would go around the forest gathering fresh gossip. This emotional outburst moved her deeply and she rushed to soothe him.

“Ah come on, don’t cry! What happened? Why would anyone eat you? No offence, you look very juicy...”

Manny gave her a look full of hatred.

“Are you b-b-blind??” he sobbed, “Your parents have made me their main target ever since they’d stopped hunting in the village! I was hoping that one day when you’re all grown you would be able to hunt for them, so that I won’t get eaten in my sleep! But all you do is r-r-reaaaaad..” his speech turned into heart-wrenching wails.

“Hey, Manny…Manny…for God’s sake, Manny! Listen to me!” She grabbed his little shoulders and shook him hard. Manny flinched and looked at her. “Nobody gets eaten here. I’m not going to hunt anyone, but that doesn’t mean that you, or anyone else in the forest, should be eaten. It’s going to be fine. We’ll find a way”

“There is no other way. I might as well just put myself on a platter and have Rupert take me to your father”

“You’re wrong just like everybody else. And I will prove it.”

                                                                                7

The afternoon sun was shedding its warm light upon the Valley. The wind whistled softly through the trees, telling stories about a brave little fox that changed the world around her. The wind told a tale of wonder in a hushed, quiet voice laced with rain-sodden beauty, encountered her parents and fought for her dream; how she introduced the Forest folk to new opportunities and restored the peace in the Valley around her. Martha and Stewart, frustrated at first, became increasingly proud after they’d listened to their daughter and tried a new diet – one that consisted of pests that were harming the forest.

Manny’s life filled with peace. He and Rupert decided to start a transportation business in the Forest, opening the very first Bear Lines that took weary passengers to a desired destination for a fee of berries. Rupert seemed to be happy, although it was hard to tell – his expressions were blank and his stare as dreamy as one of fairies. He did stump around more though, and that was known to be a good sign, of course.

Grandma Owl went into investment, putting a lot of her savings into Manny and Rupert’s business. She was frequently seen in the BearLines’s headquarters, sipping dew and hooting wise words that nobody understood.

As for Tziki, she pursued her dream of learning Chicknease and became a teacher. Together with Gareth (who was quite reluctant and hesitant at first), she opened a school in the Forest, where generations of young chicks would study grammar and pronunciation, eloquence and phonetics. The school was a place of games combined with hard work, lectures and field trips, where anyone could be the chick he wanted to be. The most important lesson taught in Miss Tziki’s class (and that was how Tziki was called now) was the importance of standing by your beliefs and making them come true. With Gareth’s and Manny’s help, Tziki naleds a small piece of Willow bark to the door of her classroom, which read in beautiful gold letters:

“Hold fast to dreams, for if dreams die, life is a broken winged bird that cannot fly.”

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THE STORY OF TZIKI (PART 1) BY Alexandra Lednichenko

This story was written as a birthday present for my mother, who was the main inspiration for Tziki's  charachter. Thanks for reading from Alex.

                                                                         1

On the day Tziki was born, the Valley and the Forest were sparkling in the sunlight; the cool water in the river was dazzling, the fresh drops of the previous night’s rain were kissing the green leaves of the trees, clinging to the tall grass and the smooth stones. It was indeed a beautiful day.

The news of the new birth spread through the forest as fast as the wind would carry it, or at least as fast as the old groundhog could do it. “Haven’t you heard?” he confided in Grandma Owl’s ears, all the while sniffing the air around him for more exciting news, “A new baby fox was born!”

Everyone was excited. Rupert the brown bear, believed to have a few screws loose in his head, was stumping cheerfully around his cave, and that was known to be a good sign.

The reason for all this excitement was due to the fact that Tziki’s parents, Martha and Stewart, were becoming too old to hunt for chickens in the nearby village. The risks of hunting, which included the long walk through the forest and the dusty village roads, had made it nearly impossible for the old couple to feed themselves. Martha was becoming increasingly ill, her limping paw causing her more pain every day. Since he had no opportunity to raid the chicken coops, old Stewart resorted to a more convenient dining destination: the forest itself.

Since that time, everyone had become a target, especially the groundhog. Once good friends and neighbors were now daily victims of the chase and were forced into hiding. Even though everybody knew that Martha and Stewart were facing rough times and their choices were limited, getting eaten wasn’t a bright prospect for the forest folk.

And so it happened to be that Tziki had become the animals’ best hope for survival even before she was born. All hoped that when Tziki would grow a bit older, she would be able to provide for her parents, and peace would once again be restored.

As for little Tziki herself, she suspected nothing of these great expectations; she only knew that she had chosen the most beautiful day to open her eyes, and that this world was endlessly vast. She could be anything she wanted to be. The wind whistled in her little honey colored ears, the grass whispered songs to her about faraway lands, and the river stream was rushing on about a brand new life. 

                                                                               2

“Now remember dear, chickens can be vicious. They don’t seem like it, but they are very fast runners. Even though they can’t really fly, the silly birds have a nasty habit of flapping their wings about and raise clouds of dust”, Martha instructed. “Don’t let it get into your eyes, Honey Paws.”

“Yes Mum, I know that. We’ve been going over this for months. I’m not afraid of the chickens! “. Tziki rolled her green eyes. She was getting quite annoyed at her mother’s cooing. She was a year old now and she felt as ready for her first coop raid as she would ever be. “Dad told me all about that stuff- the flapping, and the screeching noises that they make, and the mean rooster with the crooked beak. I’m all set.”

“But Fluffy Tail, I’m worried. Has Dad warned you about the old farmer? About his pitchfork..?”

Martha shot a worried look at her daughter. She was so small and fragile, that Martha was starting to have second thoughts about letting her go all the way to the village. What if she gets hungry? What if she gets tangled in the poison Ivy growing down by the Creek? What if the chickens outsmart her? She had no doubt about Tziki being the brightest, the fastest and the most talented little fox she’d ever seen, but it didn’t ease her heart. She would give anything to join her little Tziki, but her bad paw was giving her so much pain that a mere stroll through the forest has become a trial, while Stewart was too busy providing for the three of them within the forest boundaries. His hearing has gotten worse to the point where he would confuse Grandma Owl’s cry for Rupert the bear’s groan. Tziki really had no other choice but to go alone, but Martha wasn’t quite comfortable with the idea of her little Honey Paws going on this mission alone.

“Yes Mother. I know all about the farmer. Can I go now?”

“Be safe dear. Remember, if anything goes wrong, just run. It’s okay if you don’t bring home a chicken on your first time. The important thing is to be safe”

“I will.”

“I love you, Honey Paws”

“I love you too, Mum.”

                                                                           3

“I’m a true huntress…I’m going to bring home a chicken if that’s the last thing I do!”

With these thoughts in her mind, Tziki stationed herself in the bushes near the old farmer’s chicken coop. Her paws were sore and dirty from the long journey, she got tangled in the Ivy by the creek and she was starting to feel quite hungry. That was not to mention that a flock of crows, which flew above her in wide circles the entire way to the village, kept croaking on about how silly she was, and that she would fail even at catching her own tail, let alone a fully grown chicken.

A gentle smell of raspberries and fresh butter wafted through the air. All was peacefully quiet. The farmer’s house was standing in a pool of light cast by the setting sun, surrounded by an old white fence. Tziki was about to pounce out of the bushes and approach the coop’s little wooden door that stood ajar, when suddenly she heard the most beautiful sound she has ever imagined. The world stopped moving for a while.

“Boc boc bocuuuuucccckk! Boc bocboc!”

Tziki felt enchanted. How is this even possible to evoke such sounds? What magical creature or being is capable of making this wonderful symphony? She raised her little head above the bushes to get a better look. What she saw took her by surprise.

Two chickens; one was of a muddy brown color with elegant little legs, the other snow-white with a beautiful gold-colored beak. They seemed to be strolling around the yard in front of the coop, deep in a conversation. Tziki was confused. All she was ever taught about the chickens was that they were foul birds, incapable of bringing any benefit to the world’s existence. Now that Tziki was only a few steps away from them, she couldn’t figure out how this could be true, for the language they spoke was like nothing she had ever heard. Not the river stream on a sunny morning, not the wind blowing angrily through the trees on winter, not even the beautiful duet of nightingales and crickets in the forest was equal to this beautiful, breathtaking heap of sounds.

All of a sudden, little Tziki realized she couldn’t do it; she couldn’t hunt chickens. She would never be able to put an end to something so beautiful, so full of life. Their speech was full and sound, with sharp staccatos, growing emotion and strength flowing in every syllable.

She was frightened of her new revelations. What about her old parents? Who will provide for them? What about the forest folk that get chased and hunted on a daily basis, for no good reason other than utter despair? So many great expectations lay on her scrawny shoulders. Tziki felt stunned for the first time in her life.

Little Tziki was afraid of disappointing everyone.

(To be continued...)

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