The Chameleon and the Origin of Death

In the beginning, when the first man died, God (Tore) did not know what to do. He sent two messengers to the village of men to announce his decision. He sent the slow and steady Chameleon with a message of life: "Men shall not die forever; they will shed their skins and be renewed." He sent the fast and flighty Lizard with a message of death: "Men will die, and that will be the end." The Chameleon set out, moving slowly and deliberately, wanting to deliver the good news perfectly. The Lizard, however, scurried ahead, eager to be the first to arrive. The Lizard reached the village first and delivered his message of finality and death. A short while later, the Chameleon arrived and tried to deliver his message of eternal life and rebirth, but it was too late. The people had already heard and accepted the Lizard's word. And so, because the fast messenger of death outran the slow messenger of life, humanity is mortal. The chameleon is still seen as a sacred creature, a reminder of the life that might have been.