The Reflections of the Great Tree

 

Once upon a time, there stood a magnificent, towering tree.

A little boy visited the tree every single day. He would climb her branches to pick her fruit and nap peacefully in her shade. He loved the tree dearly, and the tree loved playing with him just as much.

As time passed, the boy grew up and no longer came to play every day.

One day, he returned to the tree looking deeply saddened. The tree invited him to play, but the boy replied, "I am no longer a child; I cannot play with you anymore. I want toys, but I have no money to buy them."

The tree said softly, "I am sorry, for I have no money either. However, you may take all my fruit and sell them. Then, you will have the money you need." The boy was overjoyed. He plucked every piece of fruit and hurried away.

The boy did not return for a long time. The tree was heartbroken.

One day, the boy finally returned. The tree quivered with excitement and invited him to play. But the boy said, "I don't have time. I have to work for my family. We need a house; can you help me?"

"I have no house," the tree replied. "But you may cut down all my branches and use them to build one." So, the boy cut off all her branches and carried them away to build his home. Seeing the boy happy made the tree feel joyful.

After that, the boy vanished again. The tree was once more shrouded in loneliness and grief.

One summer, the boy returned. The tree was ecstatic: "Come, my child! Come and play with me!"

But the boy said, "I am unhappy and growing old. I want to sail away to clear my mind. Can you give me a boat?"

The tree answered, "Cut down my trunk and use it to craft your boat." So, the boy felled her trunk, built a boat, and sailed away. He did not return for many, many years.

The tree said she was happy... but it wasn't truly so.

---

Many years passed before the boy finally came back. The tree whispered, "I am sorry, my child, but I have nothing left to give you. My apples are gone."

The boy replied, "My teeth have all fallen out; I can no longer eat apples anyway."

The tree continued, "I have no trunk for you to climb."

"I am too old," the boy said. "I no longer have the strength to climb."

"I truly have nothing left to offer... only my dying, withered roots," the tree said through her tears.

The boy sighed, "After all these years, I am just tired. I want nothing now but a place to rest."

"Perfect!" the tree exclaimed. "An old root is the best place to sit and rest. Come, sit down with me and find your peace." The boy sat down, and the tree wept tears of joy.

---

The Meaning

This is the story of every one of us.

The tree represents our parents.

When we are young, we love playing with our mothers and fathers. As we grow, we leave them, returning only when we need something or find ourselves in trouble. No matter what, parents are always there, giving everything they have just to see us happy.

You might think the boy was cruel to the tree, but in many ways, this is how we all treat our parents. Life moves quickly; please cherish the time you have with them.

As the old proverb goes:

"The tree craves peace, but the wind will not subside; a child wishes to provide, but the parents have already passed."