Origins

Origins of Agriculture

Our tribe had many important jobs. We had a small group of the ones who hunt. They had their sticks that were sharpened in the fire, and knew how to sneak up on animals. They usually ended up wounding them and following them for days before finding them dead. Frequently, they found things that were already dead, and tried to tell us that they always smelled that way. Another group were those who sat by the fire and talked. They were lead by The One Who Thinks. She worked with the group to plan where we would camp, when we would go to a new camp, when it was time to go to the cave... pretty much everything. They even made up the words we use to talk to each other. She didn't actually tell us these things; they were relegated to The One Who Leads. He was pretty much just the one who talks and walks ahead of everyone else, but whatever. The most important job, in my humble opinion, was that of the ones who gather. This just happens to be the group that I'm in. We were responsible for gathering all the things we ate (up until the ones who hunt started doing their own thing.) We also gathered things that we can burn in the fire, things that we can use as tools, and things that might be safe to eat. The latter were given to The One Who Is First To Eat New Things.

One of my best friends was The One Who Thinks Like A Squirrel. She is amazing! When we are gathering, she can look for things to eat, watch out for things that can eat us, look for water, point out every bird and animal in sight (and a few that I never can see) and use words all at the same time. It is very hard to get her to focus on one thing, but if she does, it's like nothing else exists! There are others who think like squirrels in our tribe. One is with the ones who hunt, but they don't let them carry a sharp stick. One stays by the camp and draws the shapes of animals on rocks. You can trade shiny stones for the animal rocks. I even had him do the shape of a mammoth on a rock, and I only had to trade a shell and three shiny rocks. It was a good deal!

I really liked The One Who Thinks Like A Squirrel. A lot. My body felt funny when we were together. I tried to let her know how I felt numerous times, but she was always distracted. I had even given her a few rocks with the shape of things she liked on them, but she would set them down and forget where she put them. I resigned myself to just being her work partner.

One warm day, The One Who Thinks Like A Squirrel and I were gathering the small red things that grow on the prickly bush, and I said "Gathering is hard work. Don't you think so?"

"Did you see the rabbit under the tree yesterday? He was the colour of the top of the far mountains." she said, casually tossing around the new word we recently given.

"I mean, seriously. We walk around from the time the sun is in the sky until it is almost gone, gathering and carrying. It's not an easy job!"

"Look at the hawk!" she exclaimed.

"I wish there was an easier way. The different things we must gather are so far apart. It's an entire day to walk from here to the place where the round things that grow on vines on the ground are. Then we have to carry them all the way back."

"Huh?" she asked. "You say something?"

"I said, I wish it was easier. The things we gather are too far away. I wish they were closer." I lamented.

"Why don't you make them closer?" she asked, while stuffing a handful of small birds eggs into her carrying bag. "Is that a mammoth?"

"What do you mean?" I asked.

"Over there, furry, long teeth sticking out of its face. Smells like the ones who hunt." she laughed.

"No, no. The part about making them closer. What do you mean? How would that even work?"

"I've been watching the small hard things that we don't eat from the round things that grow on vines on the ground. We spit them on the ground, they get covered in the smelly stuff that comes out of the back end of animals, and new ones grow. I think if you put them near the camp, the same thing would happen."

"Really. You saw this yourself. When?"

"Three or four rains ago." she said. "Oh! A bison!"

"What! Why didn't you tell anyone?" I cried. "This will change everything!"

"No one asked me." she replied, dispassionately.

For many moons we saved the hard things from all the plants we gathered, and put them on the ground with smelly stuff on top. So much food came from the ground, and so many different types. We now trade with the rest of the tribe, and we don't have to gather anymore. Others have started doing the same. The whole tribe stays in one spot, here in the place where the water always tastes good. We have now started using skins on poles to keep the water from the sky from falling on us, and piled up large rocks and vines that are sharp to keep the animals that would eat us away.

One evening she came to me and gave me a rock with the shape of the two of us on it. From that day forward, I knew I wanted to spend the rest of my days with The One Who Thinks Like A Squirrel. Together we had several small ones. They think like squirrels too. Life is good.