The Wise Tree

• Dubhessa Bryant, Grade 7, Collingwood College
• Short Story
• 2018

Finalist in the 'Time To Write 2018/2019' competition

This is a story about how powerful and harmful words can be and how the smallest of gestures can do a great many things.
In the depths of a cool deep forest, there stood a very old tree. Its trunk was seven arm spans wide and its branches reached up so high, it looked as though they reached the sky. But the tree was wise and it knew no one could ever be taller than the sky. Over its life, the tree had learned many things.
The other trees in the forest were jealous and arrogant. They thought the wise tree was not all that wise and they could grow taller, bigger and stronger. They thought they could touch the sky. And so they grew. They grew so tall that they towered over the wise tree. But they couldn’t touch the sky. The taller trees taunted the wise tree. How had they ever thought it was wise? Down they hurled insults and gloated loudly. The wise tree knew that strength meant nothing and kindness everything, so it tried to ignore their insults. But it couldn’t block them out. Then people began to speak of negativity as well, and the sky turned grey. With each harsh word a leaf dropped off one of the tree’s branches. Slowly, words and leaves scattered the ground. There were no more kind words of praise for the old tree, just words of disgust. The tall trees relished their success and wanted to reduce the tree to nothing. The wise tree grew sad as each of its leaves deserted it and began the gentle journey to the ground, until only one leaf remained. The tree did not wish to live any longer; it wished for the time when the last leaf fell and it would no longer have to suffer. Scientists came with sharp needles and shining equipment to try improve its health, but that only made it sadder. The scientists gave up hope; the other trees continued their insults. But the last leaf did not let go, despite the cruel words flung its way. It was waiting.
One day there was a fog that hung above the ground, obscuring everything. The tree’s branches had drooped and tangled and its one leaf hung in neglect. It too was giving up. Out of the fog stepped a small girl wearing a simple white dress. She looked up into the tree’s tangled branches and placed a hand against its trunk. She spoke and the tree listened. The words were a confession of love. And the girl did the thing all those teams of scientists could not achieve. The tree grew another leaf. It listened to the girl’s words a new green leaf sprouted for each one. The tree grew tall and full of leaves again, and a single flower sprouted. The tree thanked the girl for helping it find strength. And the girl watched as the flower unfurled and the tip of the longest petal brushed the sky.