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The First Strawberries
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If you like sweet love stories, you will love this tale of the Cherokee Indians. The first man and the first woman quarrel, and the sun reunites them with a very special gift. Perhaps the relationship in this story shows that some things never change.
Natasha dedicates this story to Zed, Matthew, Bugsy and their families in California, and thanks them for their kindness and hospitality while she was in LA for the National Story Telling Conference.
Read by Natasha. Text adaptation by Bertie. Duration 5.18.
At the dawn of time, the first man and the first woman set up their home together by the side of a great broad river. They had everything they needed for a blissful life: fruit, and berries, meat and fish, plenty of wood and fresh water, and, of course, each other. They lived as happily as any man and woman have ever lived together, until they began to quarrel.
First it was the small things, like “Why didn’t you cook this?” and “Why didn’t you tidy that?” But then the insults, and a few wooden plates and bowls, began to fly.
The first woman was so upset that she decided to leave the first man. At the break of day, while he was still asleep, she set off down the valley, heading towards the rising sun. She walked and walked, always looking straight ahead of her, and not once turning back.
When the first man woke up and saw that she was gone, he waited for her to come back. She did not come back. He found her tracks along the valley, but she had a long head-start on him, and she did not stop or look round.
The sun was now high in the great blue sky. It looked down upon the first man, as he followed after the first woman, and it saw that there was sadness on the face of an otherwise pristine and perfect world.
And the sun asked the man if he was still angry with his wife.
He said that he was not angry with her.
The sun asked if he would like to have her back.
He said that he would like to have her back.
And the sun took pity on the first man, and decided to help him. His gentle rays touched the ground along the woman’s path, and a huckleberry bush sprang up. Its fruit was shiny and enticing, but as she passed her eyes remained fixed on the distance, and she did not see the berries.
And so the sun shone again on the ground up ahead of the woman. And he caused a clump of blackberries to grow up beside her path. She refused to even glance at them.
And then the sun thought that he must create something entirely new: something so vivid, fragrant, and delicious, that even the first woman would not fail to take notice of them in her resolute and unhappy mood.
And so he blessed the ground again with his rays, and the first patch of strawberries spread over the ground. Their sweet scent filled the woman’s senses, and her mood became lighter. She began to look around her, and she saw the bright red fruit hiding beneath he leaves. It looked so enticing that she picked one and tried it. She tasted the strawberry on her tongue, and she began to remember the happiness she knew when she first set up home with her husband. She found she no longer felt the pressing desire to leave him. She sat down on the ground and wondered what she must do. And then at last the first woman stood up and started to walk once again, to the West, and back to the first man.
And that was the story of the First Strawberries, and of course, of the first man and woman. It’s funny how so little changes.
Loveddd it! !!! Well I must say excellent story …….
Alishba Shabbir
Dear Charlotte, I think the words “myth” and “legend” are very close. Legends do not have to be about heroes. Perhaps “legend” has a hint of being a Greek or Roman story because it is a Latin word – from “legere” to read.
http://www.thefreedictionary.com/legend
I am really confused…when we learned legends in school they said that they were usually about heros being brave and defeating monsters or other things. This does not fall under that category. This seems more like a Myth than a legend.
Hi anonymouse hahaha-#-#ha-#haha was up
Wow I really really like this I use it almost every day it’s so cool
Kara – somethings are neither true nor false – they are in the realm of “myth” and have a deeper truth. They are not Literarily true.
People in different parts of the world have come up with different stories about the first man and the first woman. This story is about how men and women quarrel and make up. The story in the Bible about Adam and Eve has a different meaning. It’s more about why human beings do wrong, and live in a painful world that falls short of perfection.
Hey Bertie, um are the first man and woman in this story Adam and Eve? Or is this made up?
Nice one
hi do you have how the zebras got there strips.if not you should wright it
Love it!
I love the first strawberries I am very excited
Its so interenting this story!!!
I LIKE THIS STORY. YOU ARE THE PERSON VERY CREATIVITY.
I LOVE THE STORY!
i hope can have more fairty
true
but useful
I like this story. It’s got a good ending too.
Hi Mickey, I’m so glad you like this story… I think it shows that you have very good taste ! And greetings to Mrs. Wu from us.
Hello bertie, this is mickey, you know, the one who just came to the uk from china…you suggested this story to me and i wanted to thank you for that because i loved it!
my mom, who is helping me type this also liked it a lot!
thank you!
lovw,
mickey and mrs.wu (my mom)
I like it
I think you can name the first woman and the first man so the story can be more interesting.
Good story. I love the strawberries and love to eat them. It’s sweet and delicious. This is the first time I read this story. It’s a little bit strange, I think.
THAT WAS A VERY NICE STORY. AND I HAVE QUESTION DID ANYONE HEAR OR LISTEN TO A STORY LIKE THIS EVER BEFORE READING (OR LISTENING) TO THIS ONE???
I love fairy tale and always enjoy them. I love almost all of the fairy tale that I have read. I think they are cool and they teach about far away place like something that I haven’t see before but only heard in books and stories. I love this fairy tale. It make a great imagine in my head.
thanks Natasha,your nice voice gives more passion about the stories
It was soooooooooooooooooooooooooooo good.
I loved it
so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so soso so so so so so so so so so so so so so so awsome!!!
it’s good storty~
I like it!
but…. i can’t understand this story
T.T
this story was great
I liked it, but I think it was weird when the sun made the strawberries, and that she didn’t want to leave the first man. That part was a little weird to me, but other then that it was a good story.
VERY VERY WITTY STORIES, I CANNOT ESTIMSTE!
Sometimes quite negligible strawberries to stop, look around and see the world in an entirely different and turn back, don’t make the mistake of a lifetime.
I LIKE THE THREE LITTIL PIGS IT IS GOOD. I LIKE THE NAME STORYNORY THATS GOOD TO. DONT THINK I,AM A ADULT I,AM A CHILD.PLEAS BUT I,DONT REMEMBER YOUR NAME SO COULD YOU TELL ME.
I DONT HAVE SOUND ON THE COMPUTER SO I CANT READ STORYNORY ANY MOR BUT I LOVE YOUR STORYS BY ABDULLAH
Good one, I like it. Thanks!
very nice story
luv it
contact me if u rite a good 1
it was good.
hi am erik in like this story becous you now how to rite a story that way i like this story ok. from erik
It’s a lovely story read by a lovely voice. I really enjoyed listening to it, Natasha. Thanks
My wish is to have a strawberry farm and Bertie is the first person to taste the strawberries.
Dear Kris – it’s really nice to hear from somebody with Cherokee blood. I’m really pleased that you enjoyed our rendition of the story. It’s proved hugely popular with all ages.
short but sweet
This is a great story to live by. There are many variations. I am part Cherokee and remember my grandmother and mother telling me this story. Now I always keep strawberries in my home. This is to help me remember the first fight between first man and first woman and that there is no reason to fight when you have something so sweet to share.
this is as long book
this is a good book
what kind of strawbarrys
wooow
i like short story because i can to learn english
from … read and listen .. it
thank you a lot
keep it up
it is a lovely story i love it
love it
its realli nice this story :D
sofia r u tellin me its boring noway its much better
Dear Shadow, please be patient, more Katie in October coming up.
i love all of your storyes specly katei please put a nther one
ya i love it is the best
borring do you have somthing better
wooooooooooowwwwwwwwww
fun
the best
you should have some one read it to the children!!!
This is so awesome I love it vvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvveeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeerrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrryyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy muchhhhhhhhhhhh
It was a awesome story. I love this story.
its realy awsome
kool
I love this story ? and she has got sweet voice !
good but i have seen better
nice
Great story.
thanks a lot !!
it is so nice wow i loved it
Wow!!I love strawberries. Maybe I should believe this story….The story is realllllllllllllllllllllllyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy awesome
thanks a lot ^^
so useful for one who is learning english
I like it very much and I would like to thank all the people who particepated in storynory.
this story is an excellent story.
it’s so useful for the kids and to the bigger learner whose not native English speakers
I love the story!
cool
dear gaby i loved it i felted like crying alwell well not relly :)i loved it replay to me if u love this story :)
dear bertie well i hope if anyboady is gona tell the bible storys about adam and eve well they gotta say:oh eve wana pick a blueberry? said adam just like that :)
I love Strawberrys~!!!!!
thanks@!!!!!!
crack the code to find the other comment:
livoe yuo!!!
Dear Kayleigh, there are many traditions around the world concerning the first man and the first woman. You are right that the Bible names them as Adam and Eve, as does the Quran. So Jews, Christians, and Muslims have all said that Adam and Eve were the first pair of humans. Native American Indians had their own traditions and beliefs, as have many different people around the world.
I am a sucker for strawberries too! Imagine if they had chocolate in them, perhaps she would have stayed there until the man caught up with her. Please come and tell stories in midwest america Natasha & Bert : )
where in america were you?
i love this but the first man was called adam and and the 1st lady was called eve but u know what see what adam was 1st and god put him to a big seep sleep and god took a rib of him and maked it to eve and maked adam out of clay :):)
ga-uh-roola hoi woat waa i want an awaking beauty
Dear Zainab, I’m really glad you like The First Strawberries. It’s one of my favourites too and it seems to have gone down well generally. As you say, It is time for a new Bertie story. It’s not quite so easy to get hold of Natasha to read them these days, as she is starting a full time education course outside London, but I will endeavour to do so. It is a good suggestion about New Year. We tend to focus a lot on Christmas and sometimes forget to do a New Year Story. As for History, I’ve got lots of ambitious ideas, including the desire to do some little dramas based on historical characters, and to publish lots of factual background on the site. It’s just that there are some other pressing things that we need to do first. Thanks again for your message. Best wishes
Love it is such a nice story bertie when will the new bertie story be published tell Natasha I love the way she reads and tell the story.when will a new kind of of story don’t you put history stories? It’s been a long time since you put on a history story plz put one soon. Once again, thanks for your stories I love them and so does my younger brother have a happy year p.s
Why don’t you put a funny story on new years day I would appreciate if you do thanks Natasha and berate I love your stories and website PLZ ANSWER BERTIE TELL MY THANKS TO NATASHA LOVE YOU GUYS ANG YOUR STORIES ONCE AGAIN PLZ ANSWER!
this was so cute i felt like crying
Such a wonderful story. I like it.
great & true love Story
?Yup, its awsome?
it was awesome
I want a new story now!
Dear Bridget, the audio seems to be working now. I think it must have been a temporary blip.
The link for downloading the audio seems to be broken. Could you please fix it when time permits?
Thank you very much for the wonderful stories.
I love this story! I am even going to get online and look up this website when I get home.
Dear Ben, I’m sorry if we missed some words, can you point out which ones? I’ve listened to it a few times myself, and haven’t noticed anything.
nice story and thanks to everyone who made this story. but not every thing is perfect, I’am saying that because you missed some words.
will you kindly reply to this comment
thank you for you story
Dear Person, I’m sorry I don’t know when the next Bertie story will be. I have to write it, and then catch Natasha to read it. It is on my mind though, and I hope to get two or three done before the end of the year.
bertie do you know when there will be a new bertie story
Hi Devnanda, Somethings are short but sweet !
nice bertie,but why is it so short
Dear Theo, I think we do have a sense that this is a very ancient story and that could be thousands of years old. I don’t really know a great deal about native american history, but this is what the Wikipedia says
“The Cherokee are a Native American people historically settled in the Southeastern United States (principally Georgia, the Carolinas and Eastern Tennessee). Linguistically, they are part of the Iroquoian-language family. In the 19th century, historians and ethnographers recorded their oral tradition that told of the tribe having migrated south in ancient times from the Great Lakes region, where other Iroquoian-speaking peoples were located.”
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cherokee
Dear Younes, I’m sorry but the theme of Storynory is our branding, and it’s not something we want to share.
plz plz i want the skin (theme) of storynory to use it in my personal wordpress plz send it for me
Great story.
It is in accurate to say though that the Cherokee settled where they lived. We tell our selves that peoples like the Cherokee came to this part of the world a little before we did. Its part of how we white folks make our selves feel better about the great genocide. No offense taken yours is the popular view point. But people have live here for hundreds of thousands of years.
Love your stories.
Theo.
Dear Tennesseans, Many thanks for the tip ! Glad you liked the story.
Hello Natasha.Welcome back.
We really liked your story. HOWEVER, as citizens of the United States, we must make a small correction. You pronounced “Cherokee” like this:
‘Cherry-oakey’
Really, it is said like this:
‘Chair-uh-kee’ (with the accent on the first syllable)
Just thought you Brits might want to know.
And now, from us, the Tennesseans,
Bye-Byyyyyyyyyye!
it was wonderful i feel great
it is good but i like cool stories
Great one Natasha and thanks for the Shout Out! You are welcome back to the USA anytime. Oh – and I just had someone join my site who met you while you were here – Baba The Storyteller.
Great story! The download link does not seem to be working.
I think its cool and relaxing my teacher she loves your website I do to I love your website is it a real story we think it is well we just think just think I do not no yet
I like it.
that was great story.
it was so sweet and lovely.
Natasha,
It is a nice and sweet story.
NiCe sToRY