An unexpected breeze disturbed the trees of Eden and the ripest fruits began to fall. Eve found them lying in the lush grass, bruised and soft. She picked one, brushed its skin and ate.

“Tsch, that’s sharp,” she exclaimed. “Sharp, but sweet, at the same time. Here, you try.” She handed the fruit to Adam, who took a bite. “Oooh,” he reacted, almost laughing with surprise. “Very nice. Different.” He paused and pulled a large flat seed from between his teeth and his eyes suddenly widened with alarm.

“Where did this come from?” Adam asked, though he already knew the answer: the fruit littered the ground below the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil.

“If we leave it on the floor, it will rot, or the birds will get it,” Eve explained. “We can’t let all that knowledge go to waste, can we?”

“No. That would be a shame,” Adam agreed and immediately set about collecting the forbidden windfall. “We’ll need something to carry them in,” he noted as his arms began to fill. “And somewhere to store them too,” Eve added. “Winter will be just around the corner.”

 Richard Parkin, 2024