1, The Little Tree Alone
Long ago in a land where trees grew tall and there were many forests. There was a little tree, one day the little tree looked around him and decided that he too would be tall and straight and strong just like all the other trees in the forest. The sun shone and the sky was as blue as a carpet of sapphires, the little tree enjoyed those early days. He’d stretch his branches high into the air and turned his leaves to soak up the warm sun. But all to soon the sunny days grew shorter and darker.
The still air that birds of prey had soared on earlier became turbulent. The little tree did not know what the other trees knew. They were older and wiser but very wicked and cruel. He thought he could stand firm against the rushing swirling winds, and the torrents of beating rain. The other trees swayed and bowed their branches under the blows from the elements stronger than themselves.
The little tree stood alone, yet there were other trees all around but for some reason he didn’t appear to be the same as them. Time passed one day the winds calmed and the sun came out from behind the clouds There was a pool of still clear water surrounding the base of the little tree. He looked down into the water and saw his reflection, instead of seeing a strong tall straight tree like the others around him. He saw a short stunted trunk, his branches were twisted and knurled. The poor little tree was so shocked, It couldn’t be his reflection, but the more he looked the more he realized it was indeed his reflection.
The little tree was so sad he turned his leaves from the sun his branches fell down towards the earth. No birds nested in his canopy now. He didn’t want them there. Birds singing would only remind him of a time before , when he soaked up the suns rays and felt the rain drops. There was no point to him existing anymore. If he couldn’t be what he wanted to be, if he couldn’t be as the others then better never to see the sun or feel the rain nor even the wind rushing through his leaves So strong was his sadness that he withered and died.
© Susan L Smith