This belongs to George Lucas.

This is, as always, dedicated to the Sheep.

"So what's your favorite story? You must have one, seeing as your parents actually had time to relax."

Padme gave Anakin a sharp look. She knew perfectly well that he was just bitter because of his childhood, but since when was that her fault? She began to tell it to him.

"Once, long before there were humans in the galaxy, there were shaaks on Naboo. They were happy, but very religious.

One day, their high priest discovered that the reason for the terrible drought that came every three years was because of an evil spirit on the sacred island in the middle of Lake Varyinko. He knew that no one would be able to go there and survive, so the priest decided not to tell anyone.

But one especially curious shaak discovered the problem, and she was horrified. She decided to appease the Mother, their goddess, by swimming to the island.

She started out just after dark, and swam as far ass she could, but the island was still too far. Overcome with fatigue, she slept, despite her impending death.

But somehow, she awoke on the sandy beach of the island. She wandered into a cave for shelter and was soon asleep once more.

A creature floated before her in her dream. 'Who are you?' asked the shaak, for the creature was not anything she had ever seen before. It was bald except for one clump of hair at the head, the snout was short, and it seemed to walk on only two legs.

'That is nothing you need know' said the creature, and the shaak realized she was talking to the Mother herself.

'Now,' said the Mother, 'You will save your people. You and a few others will be shaped in my image, given the gift of interspecies speech, and as a result, called humans. Now sleep, and never forget your days as a shaak.'

When the shaak awoke, she was human, and had no idea what had happened. But when she had children with another human, she told them never to wear shaak skin, and that tradition has carried through ever since."

Anakin was silent for a minute, and then said,"You know, I almost prefer Tatooine stories."