ShaharD

= Dan Shahar =

Manhattan Island: “The Man’s” Land It was two days after God made the world. His (God’s) great nephew, who did not have a name, but for the sake of the story we’ll call him Hattan, wanted his own piece of the pie which was recently created. Since God had to deal with Adam, Eve, and the serpent in the Garden of Eden, He gave Hattan a little island on the other side of the world. Hattan was sad at first that his great uncle wanted to kick him out of the hemisphere, but Hattan thought to himself, //I’ll show Him; ill make this the most known island in the world.// With this in mind he set out for the journey to his new island. As soon as Hattan gazed upon his desolate, empty, wasteland of an island he was on the verge of tears. Hattan’s pet, Henry, consoled him and told him not to give up hope and to pursue his dream of making his own island. Hattan listened and was soon ready to commence his construction of the new island. Many thought of what he wanted his island to be like raced through his head day and night. This island was a new beginning, a black canvas for anything Hattan wanted. Hattan really wanted to be a business person, especially due to his lack of creativity; however, his entrepreneurship skills were great. Hattan knew he wanted to start his own business and make it the biggest in the world. He drew up his plans and placed them under his pillow, because he had a long few days in front of him.A smart Hattan decided to make the whole island for the people who would eventually work for him. He started under ground by creating the subway. Hattan dug tunnels, so many tunnels he couldn’t remember all of the names for the lines he dug, so started giving the routes letters. He dug for weeks, and once he completed the digging he muttered to himself, “It needs more, but I don’t know what.” This problem had Hattan up for a few days, but he finally realized what was bothering him. Hattan talking out loud so Henry could hear, “we can’t have all of the people under ground, what if it floods? I know my great uncle, and sometimes he can do things like that.” He made many vehicles on the surface of the island to transport workers places. He called these vehicles taxis, and they all looke d the same, so they would be recognizable to the people. After this he had empty tunnels underground and many similar looking vehicles on the surface. It was at this point when Hattan realized, //it needs more, but I don’t know what.// Hattan was not a very creative person, plain was good for him. He needed to make paths for the vehicles he called taxis to drive on. Since he wanted to have the biggest business he would need a lot of roads, but was too lazy to think of names. He drew a grid on his island and gave each of them a number. Again thinking to himself, //it needs more, but I don’t know what.// Hattan, now growing up to be a lazy man, always wanted to work at a desk, because he thought it was easy. He started his year long process of building the tallest buildings he could without looking down and becoming frightened. He put these buildings between roads, and in the beginning they started small; but as Hattan built and became more of a man the buildings got taller. Hattan, sitting in the shade of the tall buildings he had just built said aloud, “it needs more, but I don’t know what.”Hattan was now ready to start his big, worldwide business, except he was missing something. He was missing many people to work for him. This was his largest problem of his whole life. Hattan had no idea how to make people, and the only one who did know was his great uncle, God. He was the last person Hattan wanted to interact with at that moment, so his pet Henry, who has now been growing ill, went to the other hemisphere to ask God how to make people. It took Henry double the time it would have normally taken, but as he revealed the secret to Hattan, Henry died. Hattan was devastated, but had to move on. Hattan only knew how to make one person at a time, and didn’t know how to make men separate from women. After months of contemplating he decided he might as well try something. Hattan gathered up all his strength, chanted the chants Henry told him to, and out of hands came a man, whom Hattan named Henry after his pet. Hattan in his excitement did not notice Henry running away. Hattan was too exhausted to chase after him, so let Henry go. Hattan was saddened by the fact that his dream of being “the man” of his worldwide business was slowly washing away. He thought to himself over and over, //it needs more, but I don’t know what.// He realized that he hadn’t eaten for 2 and half years. The only thing Hattan knew how to prepare were apples, which was the only good thing Hattan learned from his great uncle. Hattan made apple after apple for 7 days and 7 nights straight. He then gave his island the nickname “the big apple,” to commemorate that all he had were apples. Buried under all of the apples Hattan heard a noise, he awoke to see it was Henry, the human, and he had returned with many people. He asked Henry what everyone was doing there, and Henry replied, “We are here to work for you and you company.” Right when Henry, whom Hattan later gave the last name Hudson, said those words, Hattan thought, //it needs more, but I don’t know what.// Suddenly it occurred to him; he needed a high power transportation mechanism, something faster tan the boat that Henry Hudson came on. Hattan constructed a spear like structure that could seat people inside. After asking Henry Hudson where he came from, Hattan was on his way to Holland to get more Dutch. Henry Hudson was appointed ruler until Hattan returned. Hudson thinking to himself thought, //it needs more, but I don’t know what.// Hudson decided to surprise everyone by making a cake, but not just any cake, a cake of cheese. This would seem preposterous to anyone other than Hudson, but Henry knew that the Dutch could make abundant cheese. The people that were working hard on Hattan’s new business needed something to eat, and not only was the cheesecake easy to make, but had dinner and desert in the same dish. Later that night Hattan returned with more workers that he called Dutch. Hattan was happy about what had happened but still thought, //it needs more, but I don’t know what.// The only thing left to do was make a place for the new Dutch people to sleep. This was when Hattan created over 1,600 hotel rooms and many apartments for people to live. Over the years, more Dutch came, “the man’s” business grew, and more cheesecake was produced. “The Man” of the big business was growing ill and thought to himself, //it needs more, but I don’t know what.// He realized that it was missing something vital, a name. Hattan named this island after himself. He gave the name: “the man” Hattan, which was later shortened to Manhattan. Once Hattan died the business split into many and many “men” arose to take control. Hattan was somewhat excited to die, mainly so he could se his pet, Henry. The last words he every said were, “It’s perfect, and I know that!”