A Cherokee Legend of how Strawberries were made and why.....

Long ago, First Man and First Woman were living together in their home near the lake. Earth Maker was their good friend and visited often. First Man and First Woman loved each other very much and were happy together. Occasionally they had little arguments, which First Woman always won, but the arguments were never serious. Then one day they had a Monumental fight! They fought over who started the fight, then they had another fight about what the first fight had been about. Finally First Woman had enough "I'm sick of you and you can cook your own supper tonight and for the rest of your life!" and she strode out of the home, across the field, down the valley and over the hill beyond, all without a backwards glance. First Man sat back and breathed a sigh of relief, he thought he was better off without First Woman.
When the sun set, First Man decided to have some supper.

Now First Man had no knowledge of cooking, First Woman had done all those chores, so he ate a cold supper. After a few bites he decided that he should just go to bed. The bed was terribly cold too. First Man was lonely and slept badly. When he awoke in the morning there was no warm tea to greet the day. Then Earth Maker came bursting into the home. Earth Maker looks at First Man and asked where First Woman was. First Man told Earth Maker of the fight and First Woman storming off. First Man tells Earth Maker of his loneliness. Earth Maker tells First Man to go after her, to find her and bring her home. First Man rushes out wondering how he'll catch her, she's had a very big head start on his chase. Earth Maker said he would slow First Woman down. Earth Maker moving at the speed of thought finds First Woman and decides to put a forest in her path.


The forest does not slow First Woman down, who is still very angry! Earth Maker puts a Lake in front of her. First Woman just dives in and swims quickly across the lake. Earth Maker thinks of how First Woman was made with strong will!. Thinking First Woman must be hungry she zaps a few apricot trees, pear trees, orange trees and peach trees to stop her. First Woman keeps up her furious pace and grabs the fruit off the trees on her way by! Well Thinks Earth Maker, this is a challenge, I guess I will have to fall back on the ultimate contingency.

I'll make strawberries! One more zap!

First Woman notices a bush growing across the path with beautiful white flowers. She stops and looks at the bush. As she watches, she sees the flowers turn into lovely red berries. And the berries had the same shape and same color as the human heart. First Woman touches one and feels that it is like the human heart, soft and firm. First Woman picks one and tastes it. She thinks it is so sweet, sweet like human love. She picks and eats the berries and starts thinking about First Man and what a silly fight it was. She decides that she should pick the berries and turn around to bring them to First Man. First Man caught up to First Woman,
they ate the berries together, made love and went home
together to the home made for them by Earth Maker.

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