The Origin of Strawberries Cherokee Native
American Lore
When the first man (a s ga ya) was created and a mate
was given to him, they lived together very happily for
a time, but then began to quarrel, until at last the woman
(a ge ya) left her husband and started off toward the
Sun land (Nundagunyi), in the east. The man followed alone
and grieving, but the woman kept on steadily ahead and
never looked behind, until the Creator, took pity on him
and asked him if he was still angry with his wife. He
said he was not, and Creator then asked him if he would
like to have her back again, to which he eagerly answered
yes. So Creator caused a patch of the finest ripe huckleberries
to spring up along the path in front of the woman, but
she passed by without paying any attention to them. Farther
on he put a clump of blackberries, but these also she
refused to notice. Other fruits, one, two, and three,
and then some trees covered with beautiful red service
berries, were placed beside the path to tempt her, but
she went on until suddenly she saw in front of her a patch
of large ripe strawberries, the first ever known. She
stooped to gather a few to eat, and as she picked them
she chanced to turn her face to the west, and at once
the memory of her husband came back to her and she found
herself unable to go on. She sat down, but the longer
she waited the stronger became her desire for her husband,
and at last she gathered a bunch of the finest berries
and started back along the path to give them to him. He
met her kindly and they went home together
