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Virginia Company
A long time ago in Virginia, USA, a group of settlers from England landed their ship on the state's coast. The people who already lived there were not happy to have company. They said, "GO BACK TO ENGLAND!" But the settlers could not go back. The sea was treacherous and writhing... even sending a piece of driftwood out to see was dangerous for the driftwood. The settlers said to the natives, "We must stay here or lose our lives." The natives were not happy, but they did not want the settlers to lose their lives, so they agreed to let them stay until the storm had passed. The night was long and full of the crashing sounds of thunder and the loud claps of lightning. With nowhere to take shelter but the inside of the boat, the settlers tried to strike up a plan to get the natives to let them stay for good. "What can we do to get them to want us here?" asked one. "We need to get them to need us", said another. They all agreed that if they were going to stay that they needed to have something to offer the natives. But what could it be? They journeyed over from England with next to nothing. They all sat on the ground in the ship thinking, trying to brainstorm. Someone noticed a little boy playing with something in the corner. "What's that you've got there?" someone asked. "Oh, these are seeds my grandfather gave me before I left. He had an orchard and thought maybe I could start my own here in America". "What kind of seeds are they?" asked a settler. "A rare kind of apple tree- the Fuji apple". "THAT'S IT!" one of the settlers proclaimed, "We'll tell them these seeds are magic, and will protect them from any danger as well as grow some deliciously rare apples". "But... they won't? Isn't that lying?" asked the little boy. "Yes, but they don't need to know that. Come on, let's go". The settlers piled out of the ship into the pouring rain to go talk to the natives. They shivered and shook from the cold and from fear as they made the short trek to the native's camp. They offered their apple seeds to the head chief. "These seeds are very special, and the only seeds of their kind left in the world. The trees that they grow have magic powers and will keep you from harm if you eat the rare fruit from the Fuji apples they produce. But because these are the only seeds left, we need them with us for protection. If you let us stay here, we will share our seeds with you" the captain of the ship said. "Why have we never heard of these before?" asked the chief. "These are the best kept secret in England, and that is how we've managed to expand our country into so many others. This prosperity is yours if you let us stay." The chief sat and pondered for a while. Did he trust these settlers? The storm was starting to die down and they could be on their way soon. They had been experiencing a lot of terrible storms, attacks on the people by wild animals, and famine in their crops for many years now. The chief thought that if anything else, these seeds would at least grow fruit they could eat and survive. He agreed to let them stay.
Four years later, after the trees had grown and produced fruit, the land was thriving. The settlement had grown, the natives and the settlers had become great friends, and they were all healthy, strong, and safe. One day a terrible storm rolled by them but did not cross their path. A ship came floating from the distance and parked on their shore. "Hello, we are from Spain! It looks like you have a wonderful land here. How is it done?" Asked the captain of the new ship. "Ummm..." said the chief. He did not want to share his secret of prosperity with even MORE people. Suddenly, the little boy who had brought the seeds came running by. "Hello Spaniards! Look, we are the Virginia Company. We have succeeded here for so long because we sell the seeds from our apples to foreigners like you. They keep you safe at sea. Will you buy some?" "Yes, please!" exclaimed the captain. He took them and paid for them. "I am going to tell all of my explorer friends about these. The Virginia Company is going to be world famous!" With that, word of the Virginia Company spread. People came from all over the world to buy the apple seeds from the Virginia company. They became
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