The Young Trees

The Young Trees

By: Rodrigo P. de Vera, Jr. Ed.D.

In a distant past, there was once a tree kingdom. This kingdom was verdant and vibrant. Most of the trees were growing old with their branches spread majestically toward the infinity of the sky. Despite of their age, they still showed their greatness. They still stood with firmness and gentleness. 

In the midst of the kingdom, young trees started to grow. They, too, stood firm but with aggressiveness. They wanted to grow faster and majestic just like their forebears.

Once a year, the kingdom was visited by twig pruners. The king tree permitted them to cut the unwanted branches and leaves of the trees in his kingdom on voluntary basis only. As usual, old trees loved to have their unwanted branches and leaves cut, but the growing young trees only watched how the branches of the old trees fell on the ground.

When the tree insects were done and left the place, it was unpleasant to look at, especially the old trees with pruned branches. Young trees were laughing at them and even ridiculed them for their looks.

After a few years later, the young trees were now fully grown. And the arrival of the twig pruners was expected a few days later. The old trees advised the young trees to have their unwanted branches and leaves be cut, but the young trees did not yield to the desire of the old trees. They didn’t want that they will be the laughing stock of their fellow young trees in the tree kingdom. Old trees also advised them that having their unwanted branches and leaves cut will be beneficial to them especially in the coming days. Despite of all the admonitions, the young trees didn't listen as if they had deaf ears. Not one of them had their unwanted branches and leaves cut by these insects.

 Despite of the serenity of the place, the kingdom was also visited by a rain once in a blue moon. Since these young trees did not experience any rain, they just laughed at it while listening to the stories of the old trees that surrounded them.

After a few days, a gentle wind blew the kingdom. The young trees enjoyed it first. Then, the succeeding blows of the wind kept on getting stronger and stronger. Many leaves of the young trees were started to detach from their branches and were carried away by the strong wind. After the strong wind came, then, a heavy rain followed. This time it was not an ordinary rain but a thunderstorm. Strong winds and heavy rains joined forces together and brought havoc to the tree kingdom. While the storm was on going, old trees just stood firm on the ground. Meanwhile, the leaves and the branches of the young trees were still blown away by the strong wind. As they stood firm like the old trees and even danced with the strong wind,  many of them fell on the ground.

After an hour of devastation, many leaves and branches of the young trees were scattered and covered all over the tree kingdom while the old trees seemed intact and unhurt by the strong wind.

Many of the young trees fell on the ground while the old trees looked at them with a heavy heart. Soon after, when their yearly visitors arrived, all of the young trees with no hesitation spread their branches openly and gladly received a proud new look. Then, the  king tree  extremely felt so happy when their visitors left the kingdom.