Post by Okwes on Jan 13, 2008 17:49:46 GMT -5
Firstman and Firstwoman - Cherokee
Long ago there was only one man and one woman on the earth. They were placed
here to take care of all the animals and plants. Everything was perfect.
They loved each other very much. They were called FirstMan and FirstWoman.
One day, and no one knows exactly why, they began to argue. The arguments
became louder and more intense. Each one said very hurtful things to the
other. Finally FirstWoman left the dwelling. She insisted she did not ever
want to see FirstMan again, and would never return to their dwelling.
FirstMan agreed. He too did not want to remain where there was so much
animosity.
As night fell, FirstMan realized that he didn't want to be separated from
FirstWoman. He didn't feel right to be alone. FirstMan began to desperately
miss FirstWoman. At every sound outside the silent dwelling, he rushed to
the door hoping to see she had returned. But it was never her.
At first light he set out in the direction she had gone hoping to catch up
with her. After one full day, he finally saw her in the distance. She also
saw him, and began to pace him, so he could get no closer. He sped up, and
so did she. This continued for two days. Desperate, FirstMan asked the
Creator to help him. "Are you sure you want this woman?" asked the Creator.
"Oh, yes, for this woman walks in my very soul", answered FirstMan.
Seeing FirstMan's sincerity, the Creator placed flowers in the path of
FirstWoman to slow her down. The flowers were beautiful, but FirstWoman
could see none of them through her tears. She kept pacing FirstMan so he
could not catch up with her. The Creator set other, more beautiful flowers
in her path.wild flowers of incredible beauty that should have gotten her
attention. These could not attract her because of her tears. The Creator put
bushes in her path with no effect, and wonderful shrubs. FirstWoman kept
pacing FirstMan. FirstMan began to lose ground with FirstWoman and he felt
disheartened.
Finally the Creator put out berry bushes in front of FirstWoman. These
included service berries, blackberries, cherries, saskatoon berries,
gooseberries. FirstWoman stopped periodically to taste the fruit, but moved
on and now began outpacing FirstMan. He began to lose sight of her
completely.
Finally the Creator set out the Strawberry plant to slow down FirstWoman.
The Creator set it out in all it's evolution - white, green and red. She
eventually stopped to taste the sweet red berry. However, wherever
FirstWoman stepped on the earth, the Creator set a strawberry plant. In this
manner, FirstMan was able to track her. As the strawberries became more lush
and sweet, FirstWoman stayed longer to taste the fruit. This is how FirstMan
was eventually able to catch up with her.
They shared this wonderful fruit while soothing the ugly words they had said
to each other. The words became forgotten and they traveled home together in
the love they originally shared.
To this day some Cherokee homes keep strawberries in some form. Maybe just
in the form of jams or jellies, or in the form of plants in the gardens. In
some older homes - log homes - they are planted between the logs in keeping
with the tradition. But they remind us in the end to slow down our
arguments. Most are never important enough for us to leave our homes nor our
chosen FirstMates.
www.native-american-online.org/license.htm#Firstman%20and%20Firstwoman
Long ago there was only one man and one woman on the earth. They were placed
here to take care of all the animals and plants. Everything was perfect.
They loved each other very much. They were called FirstMan and FirstWoman.
One day, and no one knows exactly why, they began to argue. The arguments
became louder and more intense. Each one said very hurtful things to the
other. Finally FirstWoman left the dwelling. She insisted she did not ever
want to see FirstMan again, and would never return to their dwelling.
FirstMan agreed. He too did not want to remain where there was so much
animosity.
As night fell, FirstMan realized that he didn't want to be separated from
FirstWoman. He didn't feel right to be alone. FirstMan began to desperately
miss FirstWoman. At every sound outside the silent dwelling, he rushed to
the door hoping to see she had returned. But it was never her.
At first light he set out in the direction she had gone hoping to catch up
with her. After one full day, he finally saw her in the distance. She also
saw him, and began to pace him, so he could get no closer. He sped up, and
so did she. This continued for two days. Desperate, FirstMan asked the
Creator to help him. "Are you sure you want this woman?" asked the Creator.
"Oh, yes, for this woman walks in my very soul", answered FirstMan.
Seeing FirstMan's sincerity, the Creator placed flowers in the path of
FirstWoman to slow her down. The flowers were beautiful, but FirstWoman
could see none of them through her tears. She kept pacing FirstMan so he
could not catch up with her. The Creator set other, more beautiful flowers
in her path.wild flowers of incredible beauty that should have gotten her
attention. These could not attract her because of her tears. The Creator put
bushes in her path with no effect, and wonderful shrubs. FirstWoman kept
pacing FirstMan. FirstMan began to lose ground with FirstWoman and he felt
disheartened.
Finally the Creator put out berry bushes in front of FirstWoman. These
included service berries, blackberries, cherries, saskatoon berries,
gooseberries. FirstWoman stopped periodically to taste the fruit, but moved
on and now began outpacing FirstMan. He began to lose sight of her
completely.
Finally the Creator set out the Strawberry plant to slow down FirstWoman.
The Creator set it out in all it's evolution - white, green and red. She
eventually stopped to taste the sweet red berry. However, wherever
FirstWoman stepped on the earth, the Creator set a strawberry plant. In this
manner, FirstMan was able to track her. As the strawberries became more lush
and sweet, FirstWoman stayed longer to taste the fruit. This is how FirstMan
was eventually able to catch up with her.
They shared this wonderful fruit while soothing the ugly words they had said
to each other. The words became forgotten and they traveled home together in
the love they originally shared.
To this day some Cherokee homes keep strawberries in some form. Maybe just
in the form of jams or jellies, or in the form of plants in the gardens. In
some older homes - log homes - they are planted between the logs in keeping
with the tradition. But they remind us in the end to slow down our
arguments. Most are never important enough for us to leave our homes nor our
chosen FirstMates.
www.native-american-online.org/license.htm#Firstman%20and%20Firstwoman