Leaving The First Land (part 1)

Once upon a time a long time ago, before the settlers came over the seas to build up towns all around our country - way before that as a matter of fact, even before the Native Indians were here and they were here first; once upon a time a very long time ago, nobody lived where they do today, they all were somewhere else far away in the very same one single place. Everyone lived on a wonderful island in the middle of the sea, and this island was called the First Land.

It was a very fine place and everyone there was extremely happy, especially the trees because in those days, you see, they could dance and sing just like we can today. It might seem strange to some of us now that this could be so, but a long time ago that's the way that it was because trees were alive in a different way than they are today. Some say they still are and it just might be true; I don't know about you, but I've seen trees dance on a breezy night and I've heard them sing in a treesy way on a windy afternoon.

But whatever you think is the way it is now, the way it was then was the way that it was. The First Land people and the First Land trees lived together more harmoniously than we do today. The trees gave the people a place to live by bending down branches and raising up roots, and it wasn't unknown for the largest trees to open their trunks and let people live inside.

There was one special tree that was oldest of all and it knew all the stories and all the songs, and no-one could ever remember a time when it hadn't been there. Everyone called it the Magic Tree and that's just what it was so the name was true. It stood alone on the highest hill, and it grew so big and extremely tall that all the Four Seasons were able to live inside its trunk: Winter and Spring and Summer and Fall, they each made their home in the Magic Tree, there was plenty of room for them all.