By Whispering Wind
Long ago, before the moon learned to chase the sun, two rivers were born from the same sacred mountain.
One flowed swift and fierce…she carved deep paths through the earth and sang to the storms….This was Xoco, the River of Fire and Courage.
The other flowed calm and green …. carrying seeds of life and songs for the trees.
This was Tapi, the River of Peace and Growth.
The two rivers met each dawn in the mist, where their waters touched and danced. From their meeting, the jungle grew strong.
The trees drank their blended waters, the animals found harmony, and even the gods smiled upon their joining.
But one season, a great drought came. The rivers began to fade, each blaming the other…Xoco for burning too fiercely, Tapi for giving too freely. Their anger cracked the land, and silence fell upon the jungle.
Then Tupi, Spirit of All Things Wild, came down as thunder and rain.
He spoke: “You were not made to fight, but to complete each other.
Xoco gives strength; Tapi gives life. Together you are the heart that keeps the jungle breathing.”
Tupi struck his staff upon the earth, and where it touched, the two rivers merged for a moment … swirling in a dance of fire and leaf.
The rains returned, and life began anew.
From that day, the Tribe of Xoco and the Tribe of Tapi vowed to remember their shared flow …the Xoco guarding the flame of courage and passion, the Tapi tending the roots of balance and spirit.
They would walk separate paths, yet always meet where the rivers touch …
in friendship, in ceremony, and in story.
And so the elders still say:
“When Xoco sings, the jungle burns bright.
When Tapi answers, the jungle breathes again.”