Sarah Mead Stelzer

Gaea the goddess of earth had found an amazing land called Illinois. She was determined to make it good farmland. Poseidon the god of the ocean had different plans. He wanted to fill it with tons of water and make this land into one huge lake.

Neither Gaea nor Poseidon wanted to give in to the other. Arguments turned into fights. The gods tried to get other gods to be on their side and many quarrels broke out.

Poseidon and Gaea decided to consult the people living around Illinois. Both of them gave a gift. Gaea gave a stalk of sweet corn. The villagers loved the delicious corn. Poseidon gave a spring of water. The water was salty and not good for drinking. The villagers considered which gift was their favorite. The water could be

useful for farming, said one. But that corn was so good, added another. We have to make a decision said yet another.

The villagers finally decided that they liked Gaeas gift the most but Poseidon still made a few lakes in Illinois. Poseidon also surrounded Illinois with many lakes. Illinois was given very good soil for farming corn and other crops.

Illinois quickly became a great place to farm. The land was pretty flat and had great soil. People quickly came to Illinois to live, and farm lots of sweet corn, and every year, Urbana, Illinois holds the Sweet Corn Festival to honor the gift of Gaea.