Just for fun, I thought I would share this with you. I originally wrote it in Jr. high, but I re-wrote it just for you:
How the Apple Lost His Color
A Fable
When the earth was fresh and new, the apple was, arguably, the most beautiful fruit in the whole world. When you see apples today, you see a wide variety of pretty colors, from deep reds to light greens and yellows, to pretty much everything in between. Then, it was not uncommon to see an apple with all these colors brilliantly painted across it, like the loveliest rainbow that no-one had ever seen in one little fruit.
When the good Lord was putting together the world, he gave all the fruit all a choice as to how they would be placed on earth. Some of them opted to be up on trees, so they could constantly look at the wonder of creation. Others thought they would do best in bushes where they could stick together in the cold and be shaded from the sun. Still others thought they would be most useful growing on a vine where they could easily be harvested.
The apple’s idea was a little bit different. He thought that, since he was the most beautiful, he should get the most important place in the garden. So, he asked if he could be placed on the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. Since no-one had any objections (other than a slight “humph” from the peach, who thought she was the most beautiful fruit in the garden) and the Good Lord had told them they could be wherever they wanted, it was decided that the apple would get the tree.
Before we put you there, I must warn you”, said the Good Lord. “I made your fruit as delicious and nutritious as any other, but the people I place here mustn’t take a bite out of you. For if they do: they will surely die.”
Undeterred, the apple took his spot as the fruit on the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. He was proud of his position, perched high above all the other fruits, his beauty shining for all too see. But, gradually, the apple began to notice something. As Adam and Eve walked about the garden, sampling the fruits for the very first time, they always had something wonderful to say about each and every one of them.
Adam would try a pear or a pomegranate or a plum and rave to Eve about how delicious they tasted. Eve picked berries and they would extol the virtues of blueberries, raspberries, boysenberries and strawberries. The apple watched as they worked their way through the tropical fruits together, gasping in delight as they sampled the kiwis, mangos, bananas and pineapples. He started to cringe when they found the citrus fruit and the laughed delightedly at the way the sweet and tart fruits made their faces pucker. It was just too much for apple when they finally tried a peach and she grinned gleefully at him as they obviously enjoyed the fruit, lavishing it with praise and thanking the Good Lord for making a fruit like the peach.
One day, ole slew foot himself slipped up behind Eve as she was looking at how beautiful the apple was, perched up in his tree. Now to say that the apple had a hand in all that transpired immediately after this might be saying a little too much. But, when Eve was thinking about taking that fateful bite, the trees most beautiful, most delicious looking apple somehow managed to find its way to a branch that was just inches away from Eve’s tempted hand. And when Adam was thinking about what he was to do, the tastiest part of apple was facing itself right towards Adam’s salivating mouth.
After the Good Lord dealt with the skulking Adam and Eve, banishing them from the garden forever, he had a talk with apple, that was more than a little chagrined after seeing all the evil that befell mankind.
“Apple”, said the Good Lord, “I know you didn’t make them take a bite out of you, but you sure didn’t do anything to slow them down. Because of this, you will share in the curse of mankind. Through all his sorrows and troubles you will be there with him. He will harvest you only by the sweat of his brow and you will nourish him only so he has the strength to harvest you again. And you will see him die. Because you used your beauty to tempt him, with all your fantastic colors, you will only have one color on each apple tree that mankind works so hard to grow.”
And this is how the apple lost his color.
10 comments:
Apples grow on apple trees, but what fruit grows on the tree of knowledge of good and evil? Do a search: The First Scandal Adam and Eve. Please.
Hmmmmm, did he miss the part where you said you wrote this in Jr. High?
I like it.
Where is seven star hand in all this?
Sweet. Why was the good and evil tree such a place of prominence? What transpired that resulted in fruit losing their ability to talk? It looks like Solomon is proved right again - the pride of the apple came before the fall. I hope you put out of those behind-the-scenes books that tells us more about the story.
Yes, let's have the story about the fruit not being able to talk..... and why would they want to be eaten in the first place? If you are eaten, you can no longer talk. Or are they like the Borg? If one is eaten, the collective still talks for it? How does this work?
And also, is the DMV really the Anti-christ?
We need to know.
I think I want to know how the apple has affected the downfall of our economy and why you can't find golden apples anymore.
I too have heard that it has something to do with the DMV.
Just a cute little fable about jealousy Robert. the scripture doesn't tell us what kind of fruit it was. An allegory for sex? Hmmmmm.
dale and Mrs F.P.F.:
Answers to all theses questions and many more are in the soon to be released companion book to How the Apple Lost His Color. Pre-order your copy now.
I'm not the author, but I think, based on my developing systematic theology, that since everything in the garden prior to the fall was good and God created us with purpose, the apple was simply satisfied with his purpose - to be eaten. When we accept God as completely sovereign and accept who God has individually made us to be and to do, and we live in that reality, most of our worries, concerns, fears, doubts, and striving slip into the background. The fact that the apple placed himself in that particular tree, and at the top of it, shows me that he likely had stepped somewhat out of that designed purpose. In those times that we act outside of God's intended will we find ourselves being a tool in the hand of Satan, plain and simple.
Or he was just borg-like.
Thanks for the great spiritually applicable lesson, FPF. Where do I place my order?
A copy will be made available at your pre-arranged lodging.
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