Why there are Trees
A Forest Fable by Yours Truly
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The forest rustled with the sounds of waking creatures as the morning sun drifted up from the horizon. Grass was lit up with light and flowers stretched up to greet the sun.
The river practically bubbled with merriment and the fish in the pond swam about gracefully, as they always do.
A young doe opened her eyes to this wonderful forest of light and happiness, smiling. She got up, stretching as she trotted towards the Old Oak.
As she approached it, a fawn ran towards her. “Swift! Swifttail! You’re here!” the young fawn cheered, stepping into pace with the surprised doe.
“Oh yes, of course! I wasn’t going to miss this!” she replied, brimming with mirth.
The Old Oak loomed protectively above their heads as the hollow came into view. A rather large group of fawns grouped together inside.
Swifttail stopped in front of them all, glancing over them with adoration. ‘I just love fawns…I guess this year’s rut was very successful.’
“Welcome fawns! You guys wanted to hear a story, right?” she asked, a grin on her face.
The fawns laughed. One yelled over the others. “C’mon, I don’t think you’d forget!”
She smiled, waiting for them to calm down. “Okay then. One of you guys scoot, I wanna sit too!”
They all giggled as a gray fawn moved to the side so Swifttail could sit.
“Okay guys, what kind of story would you like to hear about?”
An outburst of answers.
“Oh! The stars!”
“The Pond!”
“Birds!”
She yelled over them all. “Quiet down! Okay, you in the back there.”
A small brown one stood up to be seen, poppies adorning her small head. “One about the trees?” she asked in a small voice.
Swifttail nodded. “Then okay. Now, once there was a beautiful meadow with many different flowers and animals, mostly deer like us. It was HUGE-“ she shook her head for emphasis – “and do you know what it was called?”
The fawns nodded, replying all at once. “The Endless Meadow!”
She nodded. “Right you all are! But the deer here had to sit under the sun all day. There was no shade. The river was cool, but without shade, they would get owchees” – she used the child term – “all over. It was like getting a ton of owchees from falling, but worse.” She said, looking at the fawns with a sad look.
Another outburst of responses.
“Ow!”
“That sounds bad…”
“I’m glad we don’t live like that!”
She coughed. “Ahem. Now where was I…? Oh yeah! So, there was a large stag with grass covering his body, as a relief to the sun. His name was Kirin. He approached the Gods one day and asked them- ‘Oh Gods, it’s so very hot out and we hurt! Can you help us please?’ The Gods looked upon him and said- ‘We cannot young stag. We have no more materials to work with. Alas, we need more to make the shade.’”
The fawns were looking excitedly at Swift, getting lost in the story.
“He nodded. ‘Yes, but what would you need to make the wonderful shade we need?’ he asked.
‘We would need three smooth river stones, one Willow branch, two feathers from a peacock, and two stag horns.’ They replied. ‘We only need those. Will you be willing to collect them?’
He nodded, leaving them.”
She looked at the fawns, who were by now becoming sleepy. “Am I boring you?”
They all snapped to attention. “Yes, ma’am!” One in front said.
Swift chuckled. “Okay then.
So Kirin walked over to the river, grabbing one stone with his teeth.
Suddenly a chuckle sounded from the Idol.
‘What is it?’ Kirin asked.
‘Oh, you do look silly picking up those stones. Heehee.’ It replied.
Kirin, knowing that the Idol could never cry, asked him. ‘I am collecting these for the Gods. Would it be okay if I take three?’
‘No! Not at all!’ the Idol replied. ‘Incidentally, I’d like you to ask them if I can have a different emotion? I mean, not everything is nice! Some things are bad!’
Kirin nodded. ‘It’s no problem.’ He said, trotting off with the three smooth river stones.
He trotted down the small creek until he could see the Pond. He walked under the Willows and started to reach for a branch. But then a small crying sound resounded from the pond.
‘What is wrong, dear doe?’ he asked the doe, her golden pelt glistening in the water
‘My fawn swam over here and lost her special….” –she thought for a second- “rock. It was small and shiny but she lost it here and I can’t find it because of all the dirt my legs kick up.’ She wailed.
He peered in and indeed there was a cloud of dirt shielding the bottom from view. ‘Well, I am collecting things to bring back the shade-‘
‘Oh, that’s splendid.’
‘-and I can ask the Gods to assist you.’
‘Oh thank you!’ she cried.
He grabbed the branch and walked on.
Eventually he-“ she stopped, seeing as some fawns were sleeping. No matter.‘- came upon an old stag. He approached him.
‘Sir,’ he asked as the old stag saw him, ‘I am going to bring back the shade with the God’s help.’
‘Oh really now?’ the old stag asked, smiling weakly. ‘Well, I guess I know what you’re here for.’
Kirin nodded. ‘I was hoping you would lend your antlers to them-‘
‘Lend them my FOOT. They won’t give it back.’
Kirin just stepped back, startled. ‘Okay then, but-‘
‘Now listen here youngster! A stag’s horn is his status. It’s how he gets a mate, gains respect, and gains his status in the herd.’
Kirin nodded sadly. ‘Then good day…’ he said, trotting back to the Gods.
He greeted them. “Here I have the three river stones, willow branch, and two stag horns.’
They glanced around. ‘I see no horns,’ they said.
He shook his head. ‘Because they are still attached to my head.’
Startled, the Gods stepped back. ‘But you need them!’
He nodded. ‘But I don’t need them to SURVIVE!’
They glanced at each other and nodded. His horns…. magically poofed off his head, and suddenly many trees grew from the ground. And that is how trees came to be. But not only that, but the doe and the Idol got their wishes! The Idol was now crying nonstop, and the doe turned into a frog, just as we do now when we step in the pond, and got her fawn’s necklace back.”
The fawns were all asleep now, no doubt dreaming about the trees. She chuckled and trotted off.