There is a little canoe named The Universe, and it is on a quest to reach Hudson Bay by way of the Red River. It started its journey in Fargo, North Dakota. The day it was put in the river was bright and sunny, and the current started bobbing it along, while fish chased it. All was peaceful for the first week, but then a storm swept it, moving it along at a much faster pace. In only a matter of minutes, it was stuck in the roots of an elm tree. Here it waited for a day, until a kayaker pulled it out, and paddled alongside it for a while, before leaving it alone again.
After another week, it was out of Cass County, and had moved on to Traill County. The Universe watched in awe as a raven swooped through the sunrise, grabbing a small fish out of the water, and flew away. The little canoe floated on until it reached a grove of ash trees in Grand Forks County. There, a female duck and her ducklings joined it for a while.
More days passed, each with more gorgeous flowers and sunrises, each with taller trees, and each with more and more things the little canoe found astonishing. One night, a shooting star streaked across the sky. The Universe made a silent wish that it would reach Hudson Bay. The next two days went as smoothly as all of the others. Dandelions poked through the ground, and the canoe stayed on track. After a few weeks, it had passed Walsh County, and had drifted into Pembina County. Here, the trees thickened, creating a forest-like view. Squirrels and rabbits joined it on itՉs journey for short periods of time, and muskrats entered the water to swim alongside it.
The next few weeks were peaceful, with calm waters and clear skies. An occasional person on a walk would pick it up for a while, carrying it small distances before placing it back in the water. A fisherman caught it once, and let it go again, chuckling to himself. ՉI canՉt wait to see my wifeՉs reaction when I tell her I caught a canoe today.Չ The days stretched on, and soon it was summer. The Universe left the United States and entered Canada. Here it saw buildings that stretched toward the sky, and small houses with brown roofs. Trees lined the banks, and clouds dotted the sky.
As the currents pushed the canoe along, it saw many creatures. There were toads, river otters, ducks, fish, and bald eagles. It also saw red foxes, which it found so mysterious and beautiful. Along it went, letting the current lead the way. After a few months, the leaves turned colorful, and started falling from the trees. On the second day of Autumn, it arrived at Hudson Bay, where it saw Polar Bears and Walrus, and many other fascinating creatures as well. That night, as it floated upon the surface of the calm water, it gazed up into the sky, where a million stars dotted the blackness. It wondered how it could be part of something so big, or named after something so beautiful. The Universe sat there peacefully, silently, and watched the night go by.