The waves of dawn
The sperm whale cuts across the River Seine
carrying all animals on its mighty back.
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The water glistens in the moonlight. As if the city had slipped out of its clothes to dive into it. The river stirs with a whirlpool that lasts a few seconds. A brief pause, and then the swirl begins again. Like a mysterious note hidden at the bottom. A strange vibration. Passers-by stop to watch. Suddenly, a shape appears in the waltz. An animal. They catch a glimpse of its head peaking up from the depths of the Seine. A fleeting apparition that arouses the onlookers’ curiosity even more.
Tongues are wagging. People are asking what that creature is doing there. It is unusual to see animals lost in this river. Another jump. Now half of this precious mass of flesh can be seen. As if it had come to deliver a message. The air is immediately stirred, flooded with a scent, a new note that reawakens the crowd. Is the whale the giver of this mysterious gift? Some people wonder. In any case, they all savour this sweet, permeating scent that enters through their nose.
The current laps at the whale’s body, cradles its movements. The whale leaps again, this time with a new force. His entire body rolls up, a glossy leather that explodes in the silver light of the moon. A motion that shakes up the Seine, sending waves splashing over the crowd. It revives them. There is a new fragrance in the water. The Seine emits new notes. An odour that draws more and more people.
The Seine, a giant bottle of perfume, open in the night, at the heart of Paris.
The animals begin to sing and dance, in the glow of a new wind, as if carried by the scent of freedom. The night shines with unprecedented beauty to the sound of the wild fauna-song, Paris bathes and breathes a new air. Dawn is knocking at the door. Life discovers the luminous note of another face.
A panther arrives dancing with a bear. Their sensual waltz gives off a unique scent. A horse trots in the company of a cat, its coat fills the air with an exhilarating fragrance. A lion prances behind a flock of sparrows, together they sing a joyful song. A stag comes along, adorned with a crown of flowers whose fragrances recall a journey chock-full of adventures. Clinging to its antlers is a scorpion with a tail bathed in the glow of a mysterious letter M. Next comes a dromedary, with an eagle perched on its hump... The whale slows its movements. It can be seen floating above the water on its back, like a soft, inviting bed of silk.
The sparrows hop over and land on its wide back. Another moment, and then the eagle follows suit. And so on and so forth, all of the animals are now riding upon the whale, like a massive pirogue drifting down the Seine.
