I felt nothing at first, for I was not yet conscious, but as I began to live, I noticed the gentle, rhythmic drumming as the fingers of God smoothed some of the clay from my forehead. The divine hand lightly touched my brow, rocking back and forth ever so slightly to hollow a space for my eyes. A careful indentation at each side of my head allowed me to hear, and I felt the quick, light tugging as my ears formed. Under my eyes, the hand of God pressed and made circular motions, forming the bones of my face. My hands and feet were gently rubbed and carefully pulled, and I had fingers and toes.

Lying there, I was truly happy, for I was perfectly relaxed and comfortable. The warm sand felt wonderful as I began to feel the sun on my skin. There were beautiful melodies that I would later identify as bird songs, and I could hear a variety of other trills of animals I would name later. The scent of flowers was nearly overpowering, but pleasantly so.

When God had finished forming my figure, there was a strong breeze, and I felt a slight jerk as my heart began to beat. My lungs began to take in air, and I was able to open my eyes.

I tentatively rose, brushing the dust off my skin. The gentle rhythm of the majestic waterfall was nearly soothing, and brightly colored creatures fluttered through the sky like living gems. Lush greenery was beset by blooming flowers of all hues.

Although my instructions were clear, my task still bewildered me. I was to rule over this entire land and all its inhabitants, both plant and animal, caring for them diligently. My second command was simply that I was to avoid fruit from the tree that gave knowledge of good and evil, but any other tree with fruit that bore seeds or any plants that produced grain could be eaten to satisfy my hunger. The green plants were food for the other inhabitants of the garden.

I first bit into a mango. A burst of gentle sweetness filled my entire mouth as the soft, tender fruit gave way beneath my teeth. I carried the fruit with me as I explored my home, the sticky juice oozing down my thumb.

Within the mango grove, I saw strange animals. They had fur like the beasts of the earth, yet they flew like birds of the heavens. I held out my hand, and one flew down to me, hanging upside down from my extended finger as it lapped the juice of the mango from my other hand. Intrigued by the way these adorable creatures batted at the air, I decided to call them bats.

This garden had no end of surprises, for as I continued on my way, I saw birds that swam. Flying beasts! Swimming birds! What was next?!

A tiny creature hurried across my path, making chattering noises that sounded like: chp-chp-chp! Mnk-mnk-mnk-mnk! Having no better ideas, I settled on calling the striped animal a chipmunk.

Not all animals were so easy to name. For example, there was a small beast that purred and napped, waking only to bat at leaves to amuse itself. Although it seemed to enjoy companionship, it also like to be independent.

There was another creature like this tiny beast, but this other animal was huge, its length greater than my height. It was a beautiful shade of saffron with striking dark stripes and amber eyes.

How could two creatures look so much alike, yet be so different? Should I give them names based on their similarities, or would doing so prove too confusing later?

When the sun seemed to be lower, the sky became many colors. It was as if nature itself reflected the glory of God and gave thanks for having seen another day. As the colors faded, the sky became dark, but the ebony zenith was beset with myriads of stars. Sunlight trapped in the heavens caused flashes of green to dance across the sky, and even as I grew tired and stretched out comfortably, I knew I was still in the presence of my Creator.

Although I had seen animals do so, I had never slept before, and I wasn't entirely sure how it was done. I supposed all I had to do was close my eyes and relax. Just before I began to dream, I realized something unusual about this paradise that I ruled: Despite the plethora of fascinating creatures, there had been none that looked like me.