"The Sapling"
There was once a man who planted a seed, watered it with his blood, fed it with his bones, shone on it with his soul. He labored on it day and night until a sapling emerged from the ground.
But, without a word, the man vanished, leaving the sapling alone and cold. The man's blood no longer quenched its thirst, his bones no longer nourished him, and his soul no longer gave it warmth.
The seasons came and went, and the sapling grew until it became an enormous tree, with branches that reached out into the heavens; with roots that dug deep into the earth's bosom. The tree became quite happy, but always it wondered what had happened to the man.
One day, the man returned, and the tree was filled with happiness. The man leaned against the thick trunk and nestled himself under a canopy of lush leaves and branches.
The tree was glad, but wondered where the man had been, and why he had left.
One night, as the man lay sleeping on his roots, the tree whispered its question.
"Father, why did you leave me?"
The man stirred; his lips curled into a smile as he gazed lovingly into the tree.
"I have traveled far and wide, journeyed over and under bridges, scaled mountains, swam oceans. The paths I traveled were both numerous and bewildering."
"Where did you go?" the tree asked.
"Everywhere, nowhere, and all places in between. A long, hard sojourn it was."
"Where were you trying to go?"
"Back to you," the man answered. "To once again quench you with my blood, nourish you with my bones, and warm you with my soul."
"Will you leave again?"
"No," the man replied. "Never again. My journey is at an end."
The tree bent its branches as far as they could go and embraced the man. As it did so, its leaves fell like tears. At first, a slow, quiet drizzle, then a light shower, until the warm deluge of autumn swept over the earth.
:o Wow, that was a nice peice of literature. Maybe we could start a thread on "any short stories you wanna tell?".
Nice work. ^^
Just curious as to what the story meant to you. I've talked to some people about it, and they've provided very different interpretations of the story. I've even heard a religious interpretation of it. No interpretation is wrong, but it inspires me to think that the story provides a personal message to everyone that I asked to read it.
It is, to me, very sad and uplifting at the same time. I hope that it leaves its a unique impression on you as well. Please pardon the bad spelling in the earlier version. I wrote it down in a text document as quickly as the words sprung out, and never bothered to check the spelling until later on.
The story was very very touching :D my personal interpretation of it is somewhere along the line of finding back the way to yourself, but a very good friend told me it could be about dying and transcending to life beyond death.
ashram, i never knew you had a talent for nice stories. maybe you could write some chicken soup for a cosplayers soul or somethin :D
