The Great Oak and the Sapling

The Great Oak and the Sapling

In a time before time was kept, there was an oak tree that grew along a coast. It's not important which coast, or what continent, what is important is that this was the father of all oak trees. He was The Great Oak. An oak tree that was so large that his branches stretched out for as far as the eyes could see. His trunk was so tall that there did not exist a forest creature that could make it to the top. All the animals of the forest assumed the great oak held the sky up and that his branches held the earth down.


The Great Oak knew the extent of his power and at one time tried to explain to the forest animals the truth of the matter but the life spans of the forest animals and the great oak are very different. What passes as a lifetime for a squirrel only seem like a few hours to the oak, for he had been alive since the dawn of time. At times some of the forest animals would gather in his branches and he would tell them stories of giant lizards, fires and wars between animals wearing metal. He was the father of the forest, the protector of the creatures and the teacher of the children.


One day while the great oak stared out at the ocean he noticed a tiny sapling within a few feet of his trunk.


“You down there, why are you taking root so close to me, you need to move further out so that I can continue to grow. What kind of tree are you anyhow?”


The young sapling broke through the earth earlier that morning and was unsure what to say or do. He knew he needed sun and that he needed water and that was it.


“Sir, I do not need much space and I promise if you will part your branches so that I can have water and sun I will grow outward as far as possible from your trunk.”


The Great Oak thought for a bit and decided he could use some company, another tree had never tried to grow near him. It would be nice to have a friend that would be able to watch the decades pass. His only long lasting friends had been Sky and Earth but both stretched even further than he and were seldom around to talk. On that day a friendship was born between the Great Oak and a sapling that would bridge across all generations to come and would shape humanity.


As years passed the great oak and sapling became good friends, the oak opened his branches so the sapling could get sunlight and even stopped his growth on the sapling’s side of the tree so that the sapling had plenty of room to lay down strong roots. The sapling grew fast and within a few years was of formidable size but nothing in comparison to the oak. The sapling sprouted branches right out of the top of his trunk, completely different than the oak. The branches had long narrow leaves and stayed year round.


The forest animals enjoyed having both trees nearby and a crow named Cane even took up residence in one of the lower branches of the great oak so that he could listen to the stories being told to the sapling. The Great Oak was an excellent teacher and he told the sapling everything he knew. At night the forest animals would all gather round and listen to the Great Oak tell stories of times past and creatures that had vanished from the earth never to be seen again.


It is important to know that as much as the forest creatures loved the Great Oak there were others who did not. We talked earlier about Earth and Sky but there is also Water and Air. While Earth and Sky did not mind the Great Oak, Water and Air were jealous him. Over the years they had both tried to enter the domain of earth but the Great oak blocked the way, he was too vast for them to handle alone.


“Why should a tree be a barrier to us expanding our domain” they would whine to one another.


Given the chance, Air would encircle the globe in huge gusts of wind, racing faster and faster until it ripped everything out of the soil and smashed all the creatures of the forest. Water would rise up as it had done in the past and cover Earth totally drowning anything that could not swim for it loved only the creatures that swam below its surface. As far as both were concerned the Great Oak was holding them both back from their destinies.


As the two sat offshore conspiring with one another Air became agitated more than usual and raced and swirled around causing Water to try to cool him off with a spray to the face. Instead of calming Air the two combined and found they could exist as one right on top of Water. Air began to race harder in a circle with Water adding herself to the mix, before long a terrible storm started to brew and the creatures of the ocean began to become worried. While they did not necessarily care much for those that lived on Earth there were a few that did venture out onto land.


The ocean creatures fled the area and eventually a sea turtle came ashore where the Great Oak and sapling were having a conversation about volcanoes.


“Sir, You should know that Air and Water are at it again and this time they are working together. They have created a huge storm off the coast, a storm so large and powerful that all the ocean life is fleeing the area.”


“I have stood against, wind, rain, sleet, hail and fire, I touch Sky and I touch Earth, there is nothing I cannot stand against. I have existed for a millennia, I saw Earth before she split into pieces, I have always been and always will be. Let them come and in the end I will still be here to guard my children against them.”


The sea turtle then spoke to the sapling.


“And you, what do you say? You are hardly a tree, how will you manage through the greatest storm to ever cross the ocean?”


The sapling thought for a minute, his friend was in danger and there was little he could do even if he wanted to run. The best he could do would be to be there for his friend as his greatest enemies came to attack.


“ I shall stay here and do my best to weather the storm, the Great Oak is my friend and I have no desire to see him outnumbered.”


The sea turtle wished them both the best and headed back out to sea and further down the coast. As she thought over the answers she had received she decided that she no longer wanted Water to have anything to do with birthing her babies and from that day forward out of respect for the Great Oak all turtles lay their eggs in the warm embrace of Earth. As punishment Air sent his children to feast on the hatch-lings as they try to make it back to the ocean and Water offered no protection.


After the turtle left, the Great oak announced to the forest that a storm was coming and that they all needed to head inland, he was sure this would be one of the greatest battles the world had ever seen.


“Seek shelter, journey inland a few days and after the clouds clear, return. The sapling and I will tell you all about it.”


That night the forest was quiet, the sapling and great oak rested, unsure of what to expect the following morning. A great howling like a huge wolf pack out at sea chasing game across the waves could be heard from the shore. As it grew louder the wind came with it and then off shore only what could be described as the mouth of the storm appeared to the Great Oak and sapling. Words began to wail out of the mouth causing Earth to tremble. Rocks toppled and entire mountains split in two as the storm spoke.


“We have grown tired of you oak! You are nothing more than a tree that should have been toppled years ago! Even now you stand against us in defiance, fall now and spare the land our wrath. Your pride will destroy all that you care for. We are your end!”


Up in one of the lower crooks of the Great Oak, Cane awoke. He decided now would be a good time to head inland and that maybe staying around to see firsthand what was going to happen may not have been the best idea. The Great Oak felt Cane moving and yelled at his friend to get to safety.


“Hurry Cane, the storm is coming!” the sound reverberated across the land as far as the eyes could see. Not everyone knew Cane the Crow and what they understood was that the great oak had just named the storm a hurricane. From then on any storm that blotted out the skies as far as the eyes could see was known as a hurricane. Air cursed the crows afterwards and often sent other birds to attack them no matter where they were. Water would scream insults at the crows and would try to drown any crow that entered her.


The hurricane rotated off the coast until its terrible eye bore down on the Great Oak and the sapling. The sun shown through the eye so that it looked as if the storm itself had a massive red ball of flame in it’s middle. As it turned the winds grew in intensity and for the first time in its life the Great Oak began to doubt itself. Up and down the coast trees were snapped in half, ripped clear out of the ground and thrown for miles. The sapling stopped resisting the wind and allowed itself to be tossed about in it rather than broken in half.


The Great Oak stood tall and proud his branches snapping and falling to the ground. Never had he known such great power. Earth watched from below as her friend was beaten apart. As the eye moved inland she began to pull the water out of the hurricane. She pushed the rain back into the trees that had been broken to start the healing process. It was too little too late for the oak, he was left a trunk and as he looked down and saw the tiny sapling blowing wildly he asked for a single favor.


“Sapling, come to me please, I must give you my greatest possession.”


The sapling whipped himself around and managed to brace himself against what was left of his dear friend. The great oak dropped an acorn from above and it landed in the upper branches of the sapling. The sapling tried to balance the acorn between the branches.


“Cup your leafs like a squirrel’s palms, protect the acorn and when the time is right, plant it. That is my legacy.”


The sapling was known as the Palm from then on. He held his friend up high until Earth had removed every bit of Water out of Air and both had retreated off shore once again defeated. At that moment the Palm tree lowered his friend towards the ground and Earth reached upwards cradling the trunk. Silently the Great Oak was felled onto Earth, the trunk stretching across the entire coast as far as the eyes could see. There was never a sound of impact out of respect for the oak, their dear friend was laid to rest. Forever more a tree left to fall alone will fall in silence in remembrance of the Great Oak.


Afterwards all the creatures of the forest wept for their friend whom had always been there to protect them. The palm tree held the acorn tight in its leaves waiting for the right moment to plant it. Gradually Earth built herself up around the trunk of the oak and eventually dunes were created up and down the coasts from the trunk and earth protecting the inland from hurricanes. The creatures learned to fear the eye of the hurricane and Earth learned how to remove its power before it did too much damage.


Eventually when the Palm tree was satisfied the time was right he dropped the tiny acorn into a hole and funneled water in. After a time a tiny girl sapling emerged from the hole. The palm tree watched as she opened her leaves to the breeze and stretched to reach the sun. The Palm leaned over towards the sapling.


“Sapling, let me tell you a story about The Great Oak. He was the most magnificent tree you can imagine, he stood taller than your eyes will ever see, he was more wise than any creature that ever walked on Earth and he protected all of the children of the forest, he taught me everything I know and even in his death he managed to extend his protection to every creature inland and up and down the coast. The Great Oak was your father.”


The Palm Tree reached down with his leaves and nudged what was left of the acorn off the sapling so that she could stand up straight like her father.


“He is no longer here but I am. The winds will come and I will protect you, when the droughts come I will feed you and when you are ready I will teach you as he taught me. When I am done you will be ready to live.


From that day forward as a man becomes a father his life and duty to the world change. Whether his or not, children were protected, fed, raised and taught that no matter what life threw at them, they could survive. They were taught that even on the worse days of their lives there is always a tomorrow and given time all wounds heal and life moves on. They were taught to weather the storms of life and persevere no matter what.