Transcription:
My name is Carey Atchak.
I live here in Bethel, but I’m originally from Stony River.
And this story that I wanted to share with you all
Is a story of Mother Nature and the trees.
Long, long ago when Mother Nature was first building the land, these trees
Here, all of these birch trees, all of the willows, Christmas trees, everything
All of their roots, they were able to pick up and run around and place themselves in spots where they wanted to be.
And there were other stuff that Mother Nature was starting to make.
And she told the trees, "You need to stay still during certain times of the day, so not to make a spectacle of yourself."
And they told her, "Okay, okay, we will."
And as soon as they knew that she was gone, then all of the trees would get up, and they’d move around, and they’d play
They’d play catch or tag or whatever it was that they’d be doing, just getting into mischief with each other.
Except for that one: the Christmas tree.
The Christmas tree was very obedient.
And it listened to whenever Mother Nature said to do something, it did it.
And whenever she say not to, he would listen and not do it.
And then that next day, she said, "I know you guys haven’t been listening to me. I know.
"I can see the movement.
"You guys need to, you need to listen to what I’m saying to you."
And they said, "Okay, I’m sorry, I’m sorry. We won’t do that again, we won’t."
And as soon she left, they’d get up and they’d start moving around, start situating themselves in different spots.
And they even got to the point where, "Oh man, didn’t they say that she our tracks all over the ground?"
So they’d sit down, and then they’d take their roots, and then try to do a clean wipe of the ground to wipe away the evidence.
And then when Mother Nature would come back, she would tell them, "I know. I know that you guys weren’t listening, because you were over here, and now you’re over here.
"And you guys aren’t all in the same place, except for the Christmas tree."
The Christmas tree was the only one that listened to the warning of what to do.
And to put an end to the disobedience
Mother Nature had said, "Now you are going to be rooted to your spot.
"Your roots are going to go deep into the ground, and you’re not going to be able to get up.
"And every fall, because you weren’t listening to my request
"Your pretty colors that you have in the summer are going to fall off, and you’re going to be bare and brown during the winter time."
And the only one that doesn’t fall off every winter that stays green every year is the Christmas tree.
The leaves, the needles on the Christmas tree doesn’t fall off.
So, the moral of this story is:
Even if we feel like people are not paying attention to what we’re doing, there’s always somebody that is watching us.