Ota's Tales

Of oak and beech

I can't even remember where I came across those two trees. All I can tell you is that it was about half past two in the afternoon on the fifteenth of August. But where? Well, it was in the woods somewhere.

It was a tiny hill. The hiking trail did not lead there and you went there through brambles, a stream, you had to cross a rock ledge, an overhang, climb through a cave, climb out of it and then go to the west-east and then to the north-south and after twelve hours you saw the already mentioned tiny hill. The hill is not unique. I don't remember its exact size. I just remember that when you climb it, there's an oak and a beech tree growing there and one tree lying uprooted next to them.

Since I was tired of wandering, because I got lost, I lay there on the ground, leaning against a tree. I began to breathe loudly to calm my mind. Suddenly the tree against which I was leaning spoke to me. "Man, I wish I was as big as you. Tell me how I can do that."
I was terrified when I heard the tree talking. I got up from the ground and looked at it. I stared at it for a moment, waiting for it to speak again, but the tree said nothing. I rubbed my eyes and slapped myself awake. But it hurt, so I was awake. There was no one around, so I said to the tree, "I don't know."
"What? I thought you people knew everything. Do you know anyone who does?" he said.
I didn't see it had eyes or a mouth. "I guess I'm dreaming", I thought. "Never mind, I like dreams like that", I said to myself, and continued my conversation with the tree. "We don't know everything, and I don't think there's anyone in the world who can know." There was a moment's silence. I thought the dream was over. To be sure, I said to the tree, "And why would you wish to be smaller at all? The taller you are, the more sunlight you have."
And the dream continued, because the tree answered me. "See that big uprooted tree over there?" I looked at it, and the oak continued, "That used to be my rival. I'm almost as big as him now. Come, sit down, I'll tell you my story."
I looked around in disbelief to see if anyone was watching me and enjoying it. But there was no one. "I'm lost, and I don't have time to listen to any fairy tales. I've got to get out of here and go home. I'm hungry and thirsty," I said.
"Really? You think you're in a dream. How else can you talk to me? And you're not hungry or thirsty in a dream," the tree told me.
I thought about his message. I really wasn't hungry or thirsty all of a sudden. "So it must be a dream", I thought. I sat down and leaned against the big oak. I closed my eyelids and told him, "All right, tell me your story." And the tree began.

"I wasn't born in the woods. He grew me, and my rival, a boy in his house. He brought us as seeds, and then he put me with him in a pot of dirt. It was wonderful there. We had plenty of room, so we stretched out as much as we could. We competed to be taller, so we grew like water. The boy took very good care of us. Later, he put us in a bigger pot, and then a bigger one. But over time, we didn't have enough room there either. We waited a long time and looked forward to being put in a bigger pot. But nothing like that happened.
One day, he took us up here on this hill and planted us here. He often came and looked at us and talked to us. And the two of us grew, and we both tried to be taller than the other. And the boy, meanwhile, became a gentleman. He came to look at us, but as the years went by, he came less and less. Because of him, only the two of us could grow here. He pulled out other plants that could be harmful to us. We were very proud of ourselves. The two biggest trees around. Then the gentleman stopped coming altogether. We didn't need his help anymore, because we had dealt with everything on our own. But we felt alone. We tried not to think about it, and instead we tried to grow as fast as possible. I didn't grow as much as my rival. I was sick several times, and before I knew it, he had outgrown me by a lot and started taking away my sunshine.
I was unhappy about the whole thing. I tried so hard to outgrow him, but I couldn't. Day and night I wished I was the tallest oak tree ever.
And then my pleas were answered. Once there was a huge gale. I held on by my fingernails. But my rival couldn't stand it. And probably because he was much taller, the gale knocked him over.
At first I was glad. I had a lot more room now. I grew and didn't think. I just tried to grow. But then I realized, what if another huge gale came and knocked me over this time? And the taller I got, the worse it would get. I felt that the small trees didn't knock it over. But they didn't take so much sunshine. But what of it? I'd rather live longer as a small tree than be knocked over in another gale. And that's why I'd like to get smaller."

I listened with great attention. But I really don't know how the trees get smaller. And I wondered who the other big tree was. There were two big ones and one uprooted. So I asked, "If your rival is uprooted, then who is the other big tree?"
"I'm a beech," said the other tree. "I've been here a long time, just waiting for someone to make room for me. And when my predecessor was uprooted, this was my chance."
"You see, the beech was uprooted so that its offspring could grow. And if you're uprooted by the gale, you'll also make room for offspring," I told the big beech.
There was a pause, and then the oak said, "I want to be here a long time, hope that one day the gentleman who planted me here as a boy will come back. I want to show him how big I am. I want him to be proud of me."
"Hmm, how old are you?" I asked.
He replied that he was over a hundred years old. And that's when it hit me. "You know, the same gentleman won't come to you again," I said, "he's also made room for his offspring. Like your rival, he just wasn't uprooted by the gale. But be proud anyway. You're a huge and strong tree, and I say that for myself. You have an admirer." I tried to reassure him. I think I've done it. "You're both tall and strong, and other trees will be tall and strong after you, too. But you can't be them forever. You have to give others a chance. What kind of justice would that be?" I told them.
Then Oak said, "I wish you'd come to see me again, man, and admire me. You'd make me very happy."
I told him the truth. I told him I admired the big and the small. And that everything was unique. I told him that maybe other people would come across him someday, and they would surely admire him.

There was complete silence on the hill. I felt dizzy and fell to the ground. When I woke up, the trees were in the same place, but they weren't talking anymore. A strange thing happened to me, because I still wasn't hungry or thirsty. Still, I went home. It was already dark. Only the moon shone for my journey.

When I looked for that hill one July, I couldn't find it. If you do, please give my regards to the mighty trees. But don't forget to admire other wonders and beauties on your journey. This is so that they don't envy each other and that they don't compete in size and strength. And what do you know, maybe they admire your size again.