Pondering... Summer is passing and fall is coming on. Napi is taking it easy under an apple tree. He reaches up, pulls an apple loose and bites into it. To pass the time of day he starts a conversation with the apple tree as people did in those days. Tell me tree, "Where did you come from?" "Do you really want to know?" "Yes, I do." "Well, do you see those little brown things in the center of the apple you are eating?" "Yes, I do." "Well, that's where I came from... from one of them." "You're kidding!" "No, that's where I came from all right." "Tell me about it." "O.K., here's the best I can recollect. Actually I recollect not knowing much of anything... my thoughts were racing here and there... I really didn't know what to do so I decided I'd just hunker down into good 'ole Mother Earth... let go and see what would happen. The letting go part was quite painful. I had such a hard brown shell that had to be broken before I could get out. It just wasn't possible for me to get out until that shell was broken. So my mother started working on that shell... the acid, the chemicals in the soil, the rain, all worked with her in unison. In addition to this there was something inside of me that kept pushing... pushing... pushing. Finally the shell started to break and in those broken places I came out... growing... growing... upward... ever upward. "Didn't you get hungry? What did you eat?" "Well, I never really gave it much thought. I just absorbed those things that seemed right to me and let the rest of the stuff go on by." "My, that's interesting," said Napi, as he took another bite of the apple. "Did you ever figure out what your purpose in life is? That is, what are you supposed to be doing?" "Well no, I haven't... maybe you can help me. Think it over and we'll talk again." "O.K., see you later." Napi pulled another apple as he went on his way.