The Tree

Deep in the forest was a large, old tree. Not just large, but vast, and not just old, but ancient. This tree was so wide and tall that you might think it would blot out the sun, darkening the forest floor. Yet somehow it allowed just the right amount of light to filter through its leaves, so that the ground was not left wanting of warmth. Instead of darkness and damp at its feet, there was colour and life. Soft green moss crept over the earth and climbed its trunk. Small white flowers, like tiny fallen stars, were sprinkled around the base, and the delicate tendrils of a vine slowly made their way over and around the roots of the ancient tree.

To anyone not familiar with the forest, this leviathan might be nothing more than just a very large plant, impressive in its size when viewed up close, but soon forgotten when the traveller continued on. To the forest itself, and those who dwelled there, this tree was the embodiment of life, representing wisdom and memory and magic. The Tree was more than just a large piece of living timber, it was the mother of the forest; lifegiver and protector, the heart and soul of the ecosystem.

All living things in the forest knew the mother tree and would seek her out for comfort or guidance. The birds made nests in her branches, small animals crept into her hollows to raise their young, and the forest folk would visit to lay at her feet and breathe in her fresh, sweet scent. So much a part of their world was the Tree, that none could remember a time before her, and many believed that she had birthed the forest, slowly growing and nurturing all other trees and plants over the many centuries.

Late one afternoon, as the dappled sunlight was starting to fade to a warm golden haze and the birds were making their way back to their nests, the Tree felt the faint vibrations of two tiny feet padding towards her. A very small human child was toddling over the mossy floor, following a bumblebee, who seemed oblivious to its clumsy stalker.

The Tree waited patiently, expecting that at any moment the child’s parents would burst noisily through the undergrowth. When no such intrusion came, the Tree continued to watch the child, waiting to see if he would turn around to go back the way he came. The bumblebee having tucked itself into a flower for the night, the child had sat down at the Tree’s feet, softly stroking the velvety carpet around her roots.

When the evening stared to close in, and no one seemed to be coming to collect the child, the Tree whispered with her leaves, calling to the animals for someone to comfort him. Soon, two fawns appeared, cautiously approaching the now sobbing child. With a further rustle from the Tree, the fawns lay down on either side of the child, nudging and nuzzling into him, and the three shortly fell asleep in a soft, warm pile.

The next morning, as the sun began to break through the canopy and warm the ground, the three young companions awoke to the gentle murmuring of the forest. Insects hummed, birds sang and twittered, and the lightest of breezes sighed through the clearing. The child rubbed his eyes and looked around, the memory of the previous evening slowly returning to him. Unaccustomed to humans, the twin fawns stayed still, watching the boy and waiting to see what he would do. One fawn looked up to the Tree, as if asking her for guidance. With a rustle of her leaves, she seemed to be reassuring the fawn that it was safe, and the child was a friend.

Just then, a rabbit hopped into the clearing, and made its way up to the child, bouncing back and forth over his feet, skipping away just out of reach when a soft little hand stretched out to touch it. The child got to his feet and the rabbit moved away a little further, as if coaxing the boy to follow. With each wobbly step, the rabbit hopped again, leading the child towards a low bush, smothered in ripe, dark berries. The rabbit sniffed a cluster of berries, pulled one off to eat, and turned back to the child, as if to show him the food. The little boy reached up to take a berry for himself, cautiously licking it before taking a bite. With sweet, sticky juice dripping down his chin, he grabbed another handful, gleefully munching on his breakfast. Seeing the boy enjoying this meal, the fawns made their way over to the bush to get themselves something to eat, too. The rabbit, having done his part, hopped away, back into the forest.

While the trio had been eating, the Tree had sent birds to fly out of the forest and look for the child’s family. One little finch returned to the Tree, sure that she had found them. She told the Tree that she’d seen two large humans walking the edge of the forest, calling for someone. The Tree thanked the finch and asked her to lead the child to where she had seen the other people. Knowing that adult humans are most often unfamiliar with the language of the birds and animals, and unaware of the magic of the forest in the way that children can see it, the Tree knew it would be harder to get the child’s parents to come to him than to have the child escorted to them.

Having eaten their fill, the child and the fawns set off following the finch, who would stop and land on a log or a low branch every now and then, waiting for the younglings to catch up. The fawns stayed close to the child, one on either side of him, ready to catch him if he should stumble.

Eventually, the group made their way to the edge of the forest, where the trees thinned and gave way to a bright meadow. Hesitant to go any further, the fawns stopped just inside the tree line, while the child rushed forth, calling for his mother and father. As the family was reunited, the child looked back to his new friends, gesturing and babbling to his parents. Unable to understand the child’s chatter, they could only follow his pointing, looking back to the trees to glimpse the two fawns watching them. The adults shared a glance, as they both imagined they saw the fawns nodding an acknowledgement. With this, the fawns skipped back into the forest, out of sight.

When the fawns returned to the Tree to let her know that the child was safe with his family, she was pleased. She shook her branches joyfully, blossoms blooming in the leaves, sunlight dancing between them onto the mossy carpet. The Tree sighed contentedly as the fawns played in the clearing, the birds sang and the insects hummed.