the Sun and the Tree

the Sun and the Tree

Tuesday, May 13, 2014

7:51 AM

Once upon a time there were two best friends. One is Sun and the other Tree. They loved to play and do things together all day. They run up the hill, swim in the lake and pick up berries from the field. One bright morning, Sun and Tree went out to play and were having so much fun. Along their way, Sun asked Tree "Will you go and leave me someday?". To this Tree readily replied, "Never. I shall not."  And off they went to see an old cave to play hide and seek. The second time Sun asked Tree  "Will you go and leave me someday?". Again, Tree replied, "Never. I shall not."

Now it was Sun's turn to be the it. She counted one to ten and Tree went off looking for the best place to hide. Alone and counting, Sun was unaware that behind her the monster Night was sneaking up to get hold of her. And he was getting nearer, closer to Sun who still kept counting. "...seven...eight...nine…"

Meanwhile, Tree went out too far to hide. From where he hid, a silvery blue bird landed and gave him a curious look. Then it flew away leaving an awestruck Tree following closely. The bird flew far away but Tree won't give up the chase. Both tired from flying and chasing, they come to a halt. The now annoyed silvery blue bird asked Tree, "Why do you keep chasing me?". "Because you keep flying away", Tree replied. "Can you be my friend?" Tree further asked. "I don't want to be your friend. Go away!". Sadly, Tree turned his back and started walking away. The bird felt sorry for being mean but was too proud to call back and apologize. Sulking, Tree kept sighing and wondering why the bird won't let him be his friend. In a far distance, he heard a faint cry calling his name. "Sun!", he suddenly remembered. It was already getting dark.

Captured and dragged, Sun tried so hard to free herself from the claws of the Night. She begged and cried. "Please let me go. My friend will be sad if he comes back and find me gone". "Let your friend be. I have some good use of you. I will lock you up in the Sky together with the Stars. You will be my possession and no one can take you back" Night roared. And so, Night took Sun away and carried her up into the sky, far from the reach of anyone. He put on a chain in Sun's ankle and told her to stay put. Alone and afraid, Sun cried herself to sleep.

Tree was already too late. Nowhere in sight can he find his friend. He was so sad and sorry that he did not move and leave. He wanted to stay in the same spot thinking that Sun might return one day. Many days passed , the sorrowful friend kept bowing his head and punishing himself for leaving his friend. Up in the sky, Sun sees her friend in a sad plight. She begged and begged the Night to let her go. Still Night wouldn't let her.One day, when Night went out, secretly she found a crack in the sky. There she found her way to peek in and look down upon her sorrowful friend. But she couldn't go farther. Her chain was too strong to loosen. Every day she made an attempt to escape, opening up more cracks to make her way out. Night soon discovered what was Sun up to. Furious, he cast a spell on his captive. "Because you want so much to escape from the Sky, I shall let you have your way. But! No one can ever look at you. You will be so bright that anyone looking at you will go blind. And to your friend I will cast a spell as well. Because he won't ever move away, I will let him grow roots and leaves. He can never run and play again. And when you are gone, he will die."

And so it happened. Since then, as each day begins, the Sky would crack up and the Sun will come out. The Tree down below raises up his head and greets his old friend. And then all sorrows melt away and  a new day of adventure begins. One day the Sun asked the Tree "Why did you not move away?". The third time the Tree replied, " because I told you I will never go and leave you".