Gifts of the Trees

Once upon a time there was a young couple who lived in the forest. They were poor but happy. Not far from their cottage was a secret clearing with a babbling brook and a garden of the most breathtaking wild flowers. The couple often went there for the afternoon in the summertime to play in the water and eat the wild berries that grew nearby. They enjoyed their life together for many years, and eventually they were blessed with a daughter.

Several years later, on a fine summer day, the happy family went to the secret clearing to spend the day together. They were lying in the grass eating berries when a rustling nearby caused the husband to look over his shoulder. Three bandits emerged from the forest, with weapons drawn. They demanded the family hand over all of their money, but the family was poor, and said they had none. The bandits grew angry at having such bad luck, and in their rage cut the throat of each one in turn. Their rage having been satisfied, the bandits turned back into the forest in search of new game.

They were so busy with their work, that they never noticed there was a fox lying in the bushes nearby. He watched the whole scene with sadness, and though he could not stop them from dying, he was determined to do something about it. The fox cast a spell and where each body lay a small sapling took its place. Where the husband once was, now was a sapling with bronze bark and silver leaves. Where the wife was stood a delicate shoot with bark made of the finest velvet and leaves made of silk. But where the young daughter had lain was only an ordinary sapling, as you'd find in any forest. There was only a single unopened flower bud growing from one of its branches. The fox was pleased, and turned tail to leave. But before returning to the forest, he added one last enchantment; making the clearing a sacred place where only the pure of heart could tread, assuring that the bandits would never be able to return there.

Years passed, and the saplings grew tall and strong, and that unopened bud blossomed into the most beautiful flower the world had ever seen. The tree with silver leaves bore silver fruit, and the tree of velvet grew little silk pouches filled to bursting with the finest pearls.

One day, an out of work tradesman was collecting berries from the forest when he became terribly lost. He searched and searched but couldn't find any way out of the wood. Suddenly he came upon a fox sitting in the middle of the path he'd taken. The fox sat and looked at him but didn't move an inch. The tradesman approached slowly, certain the fox would dart away, but he didn't. The tradesman came up close and bent over to pet the fox on the head. The fox let the tradesman pet him for a minute, then turned tail and ran. He dashed a short distance up the path, then stopped and sat down like before, staring at the tradesman intently.

The tradesman wondered what a curious fox this was, that lets strangers pet it, and seems to be trying to get him to follow it. The tradesman thought that lost as he was, it couldn't get much worse, so he followed the fox wherever he would lead. After an hour or so, the tradesman saw the fox sitting like before, but this time he was well off the path, sitting in front of a dark cluster of impenetrable forest. He sat like a statue until the tradesman approached. He bent to pet the fox again, but the fox turned so swiftly that his tail was in the tradesman's hand. As soon as he had grasped the tail, the fox was off, dragging the tradesman directly into the darkest patch of trees. The tradesman felt the wind whip through his hair and before he knew it, he was in the middle of a beautiful clearing.

Three of the finest trees he'd ever seen stood together near the banks of the stream. He approached and saw the first tree had bark made of bronze, bearing leaves and fruit made of silver. "I may not always be able to find food so readily, so it would be wise for me take something to hold in reserve. But I don't want to take too much. A single apple should sustain me for long enough if I get into dire straits." He plucked it and moved on to the next tree. It's bark was made from velvet and it's leaves were shades of the finest spun silk. He felt one of them in his fingers, and marveled at its delicacy. "It's just too fine to pluck... but what are these?" He found a pouch hanging from a nearby branch and squeezed it. The pouch split down the side and a shower of pearls exploded so violently he took a step back in fright. "I may need money for lodgings and new tools if I'm ever to find work again. But I don't need more than one pod to get me back on my feet." And he plucked a single pod from the tree. He moved on to the last tree, which was an ordinary tree by all regards, but there was something about it that made one marvel at it's beautiful simplicity. And in the heart of its branches was the most beautiful bloom he had ever seen. It's beauty was so radiant that the rest of the world seemed to lose its shine when he looked at it. "How I would love to look on you always, but if I took you with me, you would soon die and rob the world of your beauty. So I shall content myself with one of your plain green leaves instead. And though it has not even a fraction of your beauty, I will be reminded of the most beautiful flower in the world every time I look upon it." And he plucked a single leaf from the multitude hanging from the branches before him. The tradesman took his prizes, and went for a swim in the stream and lay on the grass. As he started to doze off into sleep, he realized that the fox that had brought him here had been nowhere to be seen since he arrived. He wondered if he would ever see him again and dozed into slumber on the grass.

The next morning he bathed again, ate the berries from the bushes nearby and prepared to try and find his way out of the forest. As he was packing up his bag to leave, he looked again at the gifts from the trees that he had taken. The apple was a fine as before, shining brightly with the promise of its own secret strength. The pouch of pearls was delicate and soft like the silk and velvet tree it had come from. And the leaf from the most beautiful flower in the world was plain as before, but looking closer, the tradesman realized that the veins in the leaf were moving. Soon, the words "Go west" appeared on the leaf. The tradesman laughed and thought that since he didn't have any better ideas himself, he might as well do what it said. He took up his compass, quickly heading out of the clearing and back into the forest. He travelled for a time, and was more hopeful with each step. The forest seemed to be thinning, and he hoped to be out of the woods soon. He kept looking at the leaf, which he kept always in his hand and changed its instructions from time to time to lead him in the right direction.

He had stopped to rest, when he heard a noise coming from behind him. He turned but there was no time to react. Three bandits appeared as if from nowhere and quickly surrounded him. "Give us all your money! And any treasure you may have too!" The tradesman looked down at the leaf and the words "Eat the apple" were written there. The tradesman knew they would never let him get a single bite, it was too beautiful, they would kill him to keep it all for themselves. He had to distract them somehow, so he reached into his pack and said, "Here, take these pearls." He brought out the pouch, and like he'd done in the clearing, squeezed it as hard as he could. A shower of pearls fired in every direction, causing the bandits to duck down in surprise. In the confusion, the tradesman was able to pull out the apple and take a bite. The bit of apple had just passed his throat when one of the bandits stabbed him from behind. But the knife blade never pierced his flesh, but snapped in two as if it were a twig. A second bandit came from behind and clubbed him over the head with a thick branch. But the wood just snapped in two, and and the tradesman was unhurt. Realizing now that the apple had made his skin as hard as metal and he could not be hurt, he made short work of the bandits, killing each and every one.

He looked at what he had done, and weeped. For though they were bad men, he was sad that it had to come down to this. Through his tears he saw that the fox had returned once more and sat where the fallen bandits lay.
"Do not cry, for these three got better than they deserved. Come with me, but first cut off each of their heads and bring them with you, and all will be shown to you." The tradesman did as he was told, and followed the fox deeper into the forest. In no time they were back at the clearing. "Now set each head at the base of the trees that gave you the gifts that saved you." The tradesman did as he was told, and as the blood from the bandits touched the trees' roots, the three trees transformed before his eyes into the family that was slain there. Alive once more, their faces shone with the joy of being together again. The tradesman looked at the fox, and saw a single tear roll into his fur, before turning tail and disappearing into the forest.