“Late at night, after all of the monks had fallen asleep, he would sometimes sneak out of the monastery and head out to the sea, where he would wade into the water up to his neck, raise his arms to the sky, and pray with the rhythm of the waves. Although the monks realized that his bed was often empty, they were not entirely clear about what he did during his late-night adventures. One night, a monk decided to follow him discreetly, hoping that he would not be caught.
This is what he saw: Cuthbert waded deep into the sea, praying in his customary fashion. He prayed all through the night, and at the first light of dawn he returned to the shore and knelt for more prayer. When Cuthbert emerged from the sea he wasn’t alone. He was followed by two otters, who panted on Cuthbert’s feet to dry them, and snuggled against his body to try to warm him with their fur.The otters stayed with Cuthbert as he completed his prayer, kneeling before him in the sand. They did not depart until he offered them his blessing.”
-Jenny Schroedel
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Otters are the coolest critters. At my former workplace (same employer as now, but different building / location), there was an otter tank. (It had been part of a kiddie farm associated with a children’s museum next door to our building.) I used to walk down to the otter tank at lunch to watch the otters frisk and play. They were fascinating — the way they tucked their little paws underneath so that they became little furry submarines. They are marvels of aquatic engineering, LOL.
OK, that has nothing to do with your hagiographical anecdote, which is muy cool, but just wanted to put in a good word for otters. :)
OK, now I remember the word I was groping for. Sleek. Otters are the apotheosis of sleek. Sleek little submarines. They are truly amazing animals.
Sorry for derailing a post about St. Cuthbert, but it did kind of get me thinking “otters”….
OK, now I will slink out sleekly….
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[…] Modern St. Cuthbert banner at his shrine in Durham Cathedral. The Vikings led to his being relocated. St. Cuthbert and his otters. Creative Commons fair use. Original source: https://caelumetterra.wordpress.com/2011/06/30/st-cuthbert-and-the-otters/ […]