Plant or Pet?
The Ainu people of the Japanese island of Hokkaido, were hunter, gatherers that lived simple peaceful lives along the shores of Lake Akan. They are known for their practice of the great art of Uepeker—an oral tradition of storytelling that can last for hours or even days.
The beloved daughter of the Ainu chief went foraging with the women of the tribe. They were fishing for salmon when a herd of deer running from hunters scared away their fish. She caught the gaze of one of the hunters before he rode off on his horse. As Senato reached into the waters to try to fish out one of the lost salmon, she felt a tap on her shoulder. It was the hunter she had seen earlier holding a bundle of the salmon they lost. Senato and Maribe fell in love at first sight.
Over the coming months Senato and Maribe met secretly and exchange small gifts with each other. Her father would not approve of his daughter marrying a commoner. But no longer wanting to be apart, the couple approached the chief and declared their love for each other. When the chief refused to give his blessings, the star crossed lovers ran off into the woods.
Decades later mysterious moss balls appeared in the lake. Rumors have spread that Senato and Manibes spirits metamorphosized into the Marimo Moss Balls.
These soft fuzzy spheres which can live for 100 years became a symbol of enduring love.
Though they are called Marimo Moss Balls or Seaweed balls, they are actually a rare form of algae that grows naturally in a spherical shape in just a few remote locations around the world. Many people fall in love with them and adopt them as pets.
They remind me of the tribbles from the original Star Trek series.
Photo courtesy of: Smejčil, CC BY-SA 4.0 https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Co\_je\_to\_%C5%99asokoule.jpg
https://mossballpets.com/pages/a-love-story?srsltid=AfmBOoqK1531Uly4VzYM\_Niq8wylU54igr8PHwdBFs8EOmd\_zyxRhKDF