How the First Letter Was Written

Long long ago, there was a little girl called Taffy. She and her Daddy went fishing.

Splish! Daddy's spear broke.

'Oh bother,' said Daddy. 'I need my other spear from home. But it is too far to walk back.'

Just then, a Stranger came along.

'Please,' said Taffy, 'take this to my Mummy!' And she drew a picture on a piece of birch-bark. It showed Daddy fishing, and it showed a spear.

The Stranger nodded, and off he went with the picture.

But when Mummy looked at the picture, she thought Daddy was in TROUBLE! She thought the spear was hurting him!

'HELP!' cried Mummy. She called all the tribe. They ran to the river with sticks and spears.

Poor Stranger! Everyone was cross with him.

But when they got to the river, there was Daddy. Just fishing. Quite safe.

Taffy looked at everyone. 'It was just a picture,' she said. 'I only wanted the spear.'

Everyone laughed and laughed. Even the poor Stranger laughed, once they had brushed off the mud.

'Well,' said the Head Chief, kindly, 'that is the very first picture-message anyone ever sent. Well done, Taffy. But next time, send someone who can talk.'

And that is how the very first letter was written, by a little girl called Taffy, long, long ago.