Why the Sky is Far Away

The sky started off being very close to the Earth. The sky provided all the food for the people. When they were hungry, all they had to do was reach up and eat a piece of sky. The sky tasted like many wonderful things: pineapple, corn, stew, etc. The people never had to work for food, so they spent most of their time creating beautiful artwork, telling tales, and preparing for the many festivals.

Osa, the king of the land, had servants whose task it was to cut and shape the sky for ceremonies. But people were wasteful with the sky. Whatever they did not eat was thrown into trash heaps. This angered the sky and it warned Osa that if the people did not stop wasting its gifts, it would take the gifts away. Osa warned his people and they were careful ... for a while.

Adese, a greedy, wasteful woman who loved to eat, lived in this land with her husband and eleven children. On the last night of the biggest festival, she took a big piece of the sky, although she was not hungry. She could not finish it, nor could anyone else, as they were all stuffed. So she burried the piece of sky in a heap behind her house.

The sky filled with clouds and moved far away, telling Osa that the people must learn to grow their own food; perhaps then they would not be so wasteful. That is why the sky is far away.


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