The Tree on the Hill

Planted long ago, the tree had seen many seasons come and go. He marked time as his world cycled from wet and green to frozen and white, and he always looked forward to a nice winter nap when the leaves finally finished showing off their rainbow colors and floated to the ground.

At some point, the curious-looking two-legged creatures living behind him started planting friends for him. Cherry and Peach and their sisters were his favorite. They always spoke the kindest, and they brought the funny little buzzing creatures that landed on each blossom during the wet and green time. They would occasionally buzz around him, but since he had no flowers, they quickly got bored and moved off.

His favorite time was during the really warm part of the cycle. The smallest of the two-legged creatures would spend hours playing in the soft green stuff at the base of his trunk. Occasionally one of them would stand really close to him with their head pressed against his bark and utter strange incantations: “One”, “Two”, “Three”; eventually somewhat louder, everyone heard “Ready or not, here I come”, and they would all move faster. It all made no sense to him, but he enjoyed watching.

They two-legged creatures liked to climb up his rough exterior and sit in his branches while picking off his leaves. Sometimes, that really hurt, but his curiosity about their behavior made him quickly forget the momentary discomfort. The two-leggers were always making noises, sometimes happy, sometimes sad.

The pattern of the warmness from the sky eventually shifted, and less warm led to more cold. The two-leggers disappeared in a moving yellow rectangle early, and when they returned later, they spent less time around him and his friends. He could feel the changes coming within himself as well. His branches were weary, and his leaves showed hints of color. Soon, they would fall to the ground, and he would gladly accept the long slumber.