Big tears were rolling down the bark of the majestic oak. Hit by lightning the previous night, the tree lost half of its crown. Where one of its two major branches once had spread, there was a dent with raw splinters. That side of the tree was charred with some cracks oozing with liquid resin tears.
The oak had always been one of the most popular trees in the valley, visited by squirrels and birds of the sky, by wild boars and deer on the ground and many a traveller looking for shade on a hot summer's day. It was a meeting place for many and the centre of activity and life of the valley.
The oak recalled the storm the previous day:
A fleeting sharp flash against the dark sky. Sudden loud long crack.
- Boom!
All animals big and small started shivering in fear. And again… A bright lightning followed by a low heavy rumble. You could nearly hear the chattering of the large bear's teeth!
- Oh - the tree sighed with a heavy heart.
At first, it was sad to have lost so many beautiful branches and precious leaves to the storm, but gradually it started feeling anxious, too, thinking it would no longer have any friends. Now that it was damaged and not as majestic and useful to others as it once had been. No one would visit it.
The oak remembered how it all happened…
The storm came with a heavy downpour. The sky got dark and a few clouds merged into one. All the living creatures, big and small, searched frantically for shelter to wait out the storm. Only the trees stood solemn and brave when a cloudburst came. So majestic amidst the intense and cold rain. Then, thunder and lightning added to animals' misery and caused the beautiful oak great pain.
The rain stopped at last the following morning and sunshine brought a huge rainbow stretching from one side of the sky to the other. All was refreshed, clean and back to normal for all the plants and animals. They could all continue with their adventures, collecting food and doing what they liked best. All, with the exception of the tragic oak.
The damaged tree was convinced that it would no longer have friends. No one would want to sit in the shade of a half-tree. No animals would visit it to eat its acorns or rest on the few remaining branches. With resignation, the oak accepted its fate.
It could not have been more wrong! As time passed, more and more animals were coming to visit the oak. Even the ones that never came by before. They used to come and leave. Now, so many of them started setting up their homes here.
First came the ants. They decided that the oak was much more hospitable than before, allowing more sunlight through its branches. Then, came the beetles which fed on the ants. Soon followed by a woodpecker which drummed on the oaks trunk until it made a small hole in which his family found a new home. The birds gradually enlarged the hole and once it was too big for the woodpeckers, they moved on, only to be swiftly replaced by a colony of wild bees. Meanwhile, in its branches squirrels chased each other mercilessly. Whenever it got a bit quieter, passing birds would take a moment of rest there.
When the next storm came, the oak feared not. Despite the previous loss of part of its crown, the tree was more popular than ever and doing really well. The new storm even brought in a few more animals looking for a refuge. A badger family moved into a small den dug beside the tree. Mosquitoes buzzed amongst the oak's leaves and a couple of friendly bats found a little spot for themselves, too. When in the morning rainwater gathered in a hollow of the trunk forming a small pool, a mother frog laid her eggs in it to create new life that spring. As on one side of the tree there was no shade, young plants started to grow around that side of the tree, competing for light with baby oaks.
The magnificent oak stood tall on the hill for centuries longer and after it was gone, it was remembered fondly for generations to come.
ACTIVITIES
