Kind educational fairytale on the benefits of nuts.
Teach your child about healing qualities of nuts.

 

FRAGMENT
from
OUR BOOKS ON NUTS

BENEFITS OF NUTS

 

WHERE DID NUTS COME FROM?

 

A very long time ago, the Earth was hot all year round, and was covered with green meadows and great forests. All creatures of all sizes were plant eaters, feeding on grasses and fruits, never disturbing each other. Back then, people lived in caves and small huts, and also ate fruit and roots.

Once, a small creature climbed up a hill to get some sweet apples for its breakfast. Suddenly, it felt the hill stir beneath it and heard a low growl:

“Mmmm… The smell of those sweet apples makes me very hungry.”

As it turned out, it was not the hill talking, but a female bear who had been sleeping nearby. It seized the small creature and the apples, and swallowed it all in one swift movement. All the small creatures in the surrounding area were very angry with the bear and pounced upon the her.

“Get off or I will eat you too!” roared the bear.

From that moment on, the friendship which used to exist between creatures disappeared. Large animals began to attack smaller ones, and the smaller creatures attacked those even smaller than themselves. These events upset planet Earth, which cooled down because of its disappointment. The great forests began to freeze, the trees shed their leaves and the first winter arrived.

People sat in their freezing caves and huts, crying and starving. All the available fruit and roots were hidden away by the snow. The wise leader of one of the forest tribes decided to send his three sons to go out and watch how the other animals survived the harsh conditions.

The youngest of the three sons observed how one type of creature – the mink – would hide away and sleep to keep itself warm. The middle son focused his attention on those creatures who would gnaw at tree bark and forage for grass under the snow. The eldest son, however, noted that some beasts had become predators, eating other animals to survive.

The three sons described to their father the details of what they had seen. The old man thought for a few moments, then spoke:

“People cannot sleep for the entire winter, nor can we gnaw at branches and trees. What we must do is hunt other animals and feed on their meat.”

The people began to like their diet of animal meat, and found it to be more nourishing than grasses, fruit and roots. They designed clever weapons to help them hunt – spears, arrows and even traps – and killed a large number of animals. The animals themselves were terrified of this new threat, and complained to God about the people.

God was called upon to judge the dispute between humans and animals.

“The freezing winter would kill us if we could not eat meat,” pleaded the humans.

“Their hunting will kill us all if they are not stopped,” argued the animals.

God gave his answer:

“In that case, let the Earth be covered with nuts for the people to feed upon. They contain just as many fatty proteins as meat, and even more vitamins and medicinal nutrients than roots. In colder regions, hazelnuts will flourish and handsome cedars will grow, bearing cedar nuts. In the warmer parts of the Earth, walnuts, almonds and pistachios will grow. In the hottest places of all, you will find coconuts, peanuts, cashews and many other nuts.”

God then turned to the beasts:

“Worry no more, fair creatures, for one handful of these nuts will give people all they need for each meal. They will be able to store them too. If the people are not starving, they will not harm the lives of other beings.”

Delighted with this solution, the animals returned to the forest only to be caught in the traps which had been laid by the people. They asked in vain to be freed, explaining to the hunters the wonderful properties of nuts. But the people still did not want to release them. One small girl, who herself had once been caught in a trap, spoke to a trapped hare:

“I feel very sorry for you, but I have to take some food back for my grandmother, my brothers and my little sisters. If the forest nuts are as tasty as you say, I will let you go.”

The hare led the girl to a hazelnut bush. Seeing its nuts lying on the ground, she tried one. A smile appeared across her face.

“My dear hare,” said the girl, “I have never eaten anything more delicious in all my life.”

The girl quickly collected a basketful of the nuts and ran back to her hut. One week later, she met the same hare again.

“I do not know how to thank you,” said the girl. “These wonderful nuts have restored my old grandmother's health, and my brothers and sisters are no longer so difficult.”

“Tell everyone in your tribe about these nuts,” advised the hare.

The girl followed the hare's instructions, and the entire tribe began to appreciate the properties of nuts. People, however, did not stop hunting. The nuts had quite the opposite effect – they gave the hunters so much strength that they could chase wild beasts for two or three days without tiring.

This is how it has been ever since then. There is not a single person who is not aware of the astonishing vitamins and protein contained in nuts, yet they are still less popular than meat. Only a few people gave up meat forever. They turned out to be the most peaceful of all the creatures on Earth, and nuts earned the title of “food of the saints”.

 

Questions and exercises based on the story: