The Tree and The Wind

The Wind slithered her way through the forest, more or less idly and without much thought other than to conserve energy. The Wind honestly couldn't care less whether she got through the forest any faster than the plodding pace she was muddling. The summer rays over the tops of the forest tips were causing problems for her as usual, trying to draw the Wind upward away from the cool and moist softness of the forest floor.

The Wind had to be more vigilant then, trying to get through the forest without being impeded by too many trees. That, and the spiders with their cobwebs. It was rather rude to pass through someone else's home, but that's kind of how the Wind felt as she passed through the myriad of cobwebs that made the forest their home. It was a fine balance to find, if at all possible.

And it was so luxurious to be able to whip past the land, but better to go slow than to be caught up in the solar net. The Wind was warned by others as she was created in the mountains by the Great Cloud - if you get too high, you will be turned into Rain, and gone will be your freedom. Yet the drain to remain close to the ground was considerable, and after a lot of groaning, whistling, the "excuse me's and pardon me's and sorry for barging through your home" and much, much effort, the Wind settled to move at a snail's pace on the forest floor. There was little rush, after all. The Wind felt the need to move, but the pace was entirely up to her.

And so the the Wind moved through the last copse of trees and found itself in a small circular meadow, surrounded by more forest, with a solitary tree at the center of the meadow.

"Hello, Tree." The Wind paused as she passed close.

"Hello, Wind." The Tree nodded his branches in a soft manner.

The Wind felt a little rush of impertinence, wanting to ask why the Tree was all along and not with the others, and at the same time, understood that the Tree was much older than herself, and so did not deserve the prying questions of one so young as her.

The Wind circled the meadow, trying to decide whether to stay for a while, or to move on through.

"Whither you go, Wind." The Tree bent his top branches toward the Wind.

"I go where I please, but I mustn't stray too far from the ground, and I mustn't tarry too long in one place either."

The Tree thought for a moment, and asked, "What lies beyond the forest?"

The Wind paused and considered the source of the query. It was an odd question; surely the Tree had more wisdom than to ask a silly question like that! What was beyond the forest? It was all the same to the Wind, and she had no idea how to answer the question. It was a silly question, and the Wind had places to go.

"Tree, what lies beyond the forest is the Beyond. It is marvelous and wondrous."

The Tree straightened to the tips of the top branches. "All I see is more forest."

"Tree, what you cannot see, I have been to and back." The Wind picked up speed and tickled the edges of the leaves, darting just out of the Tree's reach.

The Tree was silent for a while, and then said sadly, "I am rooted here, and this is my life. Can you understand?"

The Wind did not, and her patience was at an end. "Tree, I will go there and be back and report all that I see."

The Tree nodded, and with that the Wind was gone, rushing past the meadow and over the tops of the forest, daring the Sun to take her.

The Tree drooped a bit, and sighed.

"See you again tomorrow."

****

The Wind has no memory, and the Tree has no feet. And together they are still incomplete.

-David