The Autumn Tree
The autumn tree was such a wonderful sight. Its leaves would change into the yellow of the sun, or the yellow of mustard. The brown leaves would fall to the ground in a delicate spiral that would mimic the movements of a flute’s trill. The autumn tree busted with bright red and deep maroons, was a wonderful sight to see during the autumn time, it had such beauty. Now, the autumn tree was more than just a tree among the rest of the forest. The autumn tree was the king.
So, you know that part in the Lord of the Rings, where Merry and Pippin see a tree come to life, this forest was very much similar. While it had no help from elves, it did have the help from a little magic from deep within the Earth. Every night when it became the time of the owls, the trees would awake and arise from there spots.
They would bustle about, trading with other trees for the best water and the best soil. The girls would gossip over the other girls leaves, the women would take care of the little saplings who are enduring there first fall or winter. Though the autumn tree often stayed away from the rest of them.
He was the king who was destined to ruin the secrecy of the trees in this forest. He often felt as though that if he was to be the one who was to ruin the forest, that he should not have the luxury of enjoying it. Little did he realize that the discovery of the trees would be inevitable, that with the rise of immigrants to the land that they would soon be found out.
It was a few weeks into fall when it first started to happen. Lumberjacks would come into the forest with their axes and cut down the trees. The first night it happen the forest was in an uproar. Wives were crying over where their husbands used to be, saplings were lost due to their parents being gone, and they all blamed the king.
They accused the king of telling the strange people of where they were, that this was his beginning plan. That he allowed the natives to tell these strange people of this place. Though, the king did no such thing. While he often stayed away from the other trees, he still loved them as any other king would love his people, so he spoke.
“I know most of you won’t believe me, that I’m lying due to my destiny. Let me tell you this right now, but I love this forest and all of you than I love myself. You are the most important thing to me and my life right now.” The king looked at his people and smiled softly, “I would never, ever, do anything purposely to hurt you.”
For some reason, that only the Earth would know about, the trees never woke up again. The lumberjacks came back again and again, cutting down every tree. They only left the autumn tree standing. To show the beautiful vastness of the forest that once stood, they left the most beautiful one standing.