Tree-by Ken Crane

Tree

Once upon a time, there was a young but shabby looking tree.
The poor looking branches of the young tree could not bear much fruit, so the birds and the animals did not care about this shabby looking tree.

The young tree looked around him and gave a big sigh.
Flocking birds and animals were always gathering at other trees in the forest to get fruits and sap.
So this poor shabby looking tree was spending days and nights dreaming that one day he would be the most popular tree in the forest.

One cold and rainy night.
Into the forest came this shabby looking animal, shivering with cold:
It was a human-being.
The man was looking for shelter to avoid the rain.
But all the tall trees were occupied with other visitors including bears and wolves.
So the man came to the shabby looking young tree.
The tree did not have many leaves, but they were enough for one man to avoid the rain.

A shabby looking tree and a shabby looking man.
All the trees in the forest looked and laughed at them saying "those two are well-matched!"

The young tree decided to observe this shabby looking human for a while.
The man was wrapped in animal fur.
His cowardly looking eyes were shining with fear, cautious of the animals in the dark.
The man seemed very weak.

After a while, the man took out two stones from his sleeve, gathered branches on the ground, and started hitting the two stones together.

The tree thought: What is he doing?
Then suddenly, something very bright started to shine under the tree.
The tee saw that the man had started a fire.
When the gathered branches started to burn, the shabby looking tree was illuminated with light from the fire.
With the illuminated light, the shabby tree looked very impressive and beautiful.
Though it was for a moment, the trees in the forest cried out in admiration to the young tree.

So the tree decided to make contact with this human-being:
"Hello there, the skill you have is pretty impressive!!"

"Causing a fire is the only skill I have. Other than that, human beings are very weak" the man replied.

"Oh no don't be so modest. Other animals could never create a fire.
If you don’t mind, I would like to ask you a favor "

"What's your favor?"

"As you can see, I am a shabby tree who doesn’t attract any birds and animals.
I will dedicate my fruit to you, so please come back to me again here one day and light me up with more splendid fire"
The tree dropped a fruit beneath the human's feet.

Picking up the fruit, the man said to the tree:
"Thank you, young tree.
I'll promise that I will be back here one day and light you up with a wonderful fire"

And in the dawn, seeing the rain had stopped, the man left the forest.

And then 100 years later.
The tree kept on waiting for the man to come back.
The tree grew big already, birds and animals started to gather around him.
But the tree's greatest wish was for the man to come back and light him up with fire.

500 years had passed.
But the human-being did not come back yet.
The tree became uneasy.
Will he really come back?
The tree believed the promise of the man.
So the tree decided to grow more and become bigger.

1000 years passed.
The tree knew that surrounding plants were already dead and had been replaced by a new generation.
The tree had become a gigantic tree, and he was respected as a mentor by the plants and animals of the forest.
If you live for a thousand years, it will be thought that you know everything.
But the tree's most desired wish did not come true yet.
So the tree still could not wither.
Many times the tree was beaten by storms and burned by lightning.
But the tree came back to life every time.

And 2000 years later.
By now the tree was able to read the future.
So the tree knew when the man would come back. 
It was today.
The tree knew the man was not the same man he met 2000 years ago.
But, he knew for sure the man was a descendant of the man he met. 
So the tree waited quietly with a sense of calm for the reunion.



The man was surprised to see such a huge tree in the forest.
It was a miracle that people did not recognize such a big tree.
For a while the man watched the giant tree, but then returned home to his village.
Later the man returned to the woods again, this time with a big floodlight on his truck. 

He placed the floodlight under the tree, and waited for nightfall.
And when it became dark and he saw the stars shining in the sky,
the man switched on the floodlight.
The tree was illuminated with a beautiful light.
The man even thought he heard the trees in the forest giving a cheer to the illuminated tree.
The man did not understand why he was doing this, but he felt he must do it when he saw the tree.
The illuminated tree seemed very proud of itself.
Seeing the illuminated tree, the man felt very relieved and happy that a promise had been fulfilled.