The World Was Made

They say that ages ago, before the world was made, before the people walked and ran and danced upon the earth, Maple stood by herself on the bare earth.  There was nothing by her, there was no one anywhere, and all she could do was just stand there, for there was no where to go and no one to know and no thing to see.

Tired of her isolation, she reached into her branches and broke off a bud and held it tightly in her hands until it formed hard and smooth.  She took a leaf and wrapped it around the top and she blew on it to dry it and make a cap.  She then took the acorn and pressed it gently into the ground not far away.  

Time went on, and soon Oak sprang from where the acorn had been placed.

Brother Oak, Maple had said, it is good that you have come to join me.  For I have been alone and now have a brother.

Sister Maple, said Oak who recognized Maple, I am glad to join you. But why are there no others?

Maple told him, There have never been any others. I have been alone. Now I have a brother and my brother has me. Is this not enough?

Oak pondered. No it is not enough. It is good, but it is not enough.

What then? Maple asked him.

There should be things on the ground, Oak told her. More like us. And some should also walk from place to place and some should dig into the earth.

Yes, said Maple. And there should be things in the sky as well. Creatures that soar and take rest in our branches and creatures that hover and dart between us.

Oak agreed with his sister, but he wondered how this could be.  The sun shines and all day, and nothing keeps the sky in place.

Maple worried about this and told him, Nothing holds the earth in place either.  If you could hold the earth in place, I could hold the sky in place.

So Oak took many of his leaves, tore them up and threw them into the air.  They scattered and came to rest on the ground, where they sprang up plants and grasses and flowers to hold the earth in place.

Satisfied that the ground would stay, Maple reached her arms to the sky and molded the air into giants.

Giants of air, she told the giants, you must hold the sky in place.  You must reprimand the sun when it is too hot and you must bring the oceans to the earth when it is too dry.

And the giants held the sky and the grasses held the ground.

And Maple threw her seeds to the winds where they grew wings of feathers to soar through the sky and wings of glass to dart between the trees.  And Oak dropped his seeds to the ground where they grew legs to walk from place to place and claws to dig into the earth.

And from these all creatures great and small and all plants of every color grew and were born.