Short Story

The Tree Mouse

A Parable

Once there was an oak tree in a small forest of pines. It was the last of the majestic oaks, standing nearly one hundred fifty feet high, it almost reached the summit of some of the tallest pine trees. At its base, it measured nearly nine feet across and it had a hollowed-out hole, where a small bear could have crawled inside to hibernate if he had a mind to do so.

In this tree, in its broad and outstretched branches, like great arms reaching into the sky, lived a family of squirrels, fifty generations of squirrels, or so the story had been told, had lived in this tree, since such stories had been told from father to son, from mothers to daughters, along with all the other stories of the forest. Many a day young Achilles’ father had set him aside to tell him such stories, as he told the rest of Achilles’ brothers and sisters. But Achilles was not interested in such stories. Achilles was not interested in any of the tasks that kept the others occupied. All he thought about was climbing ever higher up the tree’s great branches looking skyward and watching the birds circle in their magic dances above his head.

“You’re going to fall down and hurt yourself,” young Sophocles squirrel shouted at Achilles as he stretched his legs to crawl onto the quivering branch, which swayed back and forth under his weight. “Come down from there. We have chores to do.”

“Come on, Sophocles, come up here with me. It is such fun. You can see almost to the edge of the river from here,” Achilles shouted back to him.

But Sophocles knew that chores awaited them both and there were always branches to find, acorns to gather, and food to prepare, and there were the younger squirrels to take care of.

“Father is not going to be happy with you,” Sophocles finally shouted back to him. but he knew he could not persuade Achilles to come down from the tree and do his chores. When he had reached almost the tip of the branch, Achilles hung on with all the strength he could muster within himself. he stared out at the vast green lake of trees, waving in the wind before his eyes and he felt the greatest joy that any squirrel could feel for having had the opportunity to see what his small squirrel eyes were seeing, and he knew he had to bring others up to the same tip of the branches to see what he was seeing.

THE RULES Of THE FOREST

Forests had their rules. Every animal had its proper place in the order of things and tree mice living at the bases of trees, unable to climb to the highest branches, occupied a lower rung on the ladder of life, or so the squirrels and birds and dear and bears told them. Certain rules must be followed, yet young Thomas tree mouse was tired of following such rules, and he wanted to challenge the idea that only squirrels could climb trees. Each day he began by running up the sides of the trunk, reaching a little higher and then slipping down. Each afternoon he gathered his strength again and he would run up the side of the tree again and when he reached the limit of his strength, he would climb back down to the ground, often while the other tree mice laughed at him.

“How many times you have to fall down from the tree. before you learn you can’t climb it?” Nicky tree mouse chided him.

“One day I will climb it,” Thomas snapped back at him, “and I’ll prove you all wrong.”

But even he was beginning to lose heart that after over a hundred such ties, he had made so little progress. But despite all the chuckling, he gathered his strength and he made another attempt. He ran up the side of the tree, reached a few steps farther than before, and again he fell down.

The young squirrels gathered in the lower branches of the tree and watched Thomas as he tumbled down and they too chuckled, some even rolling on their backs and waving their feet in the air. Achilles, who had finally climbed down the tree to do his chores, arrived just as Thomas tumbled down and startled them.

“What are you all laughing at?” Achilles asked.

“Thomas is trying to climb the tree again,” Melissa Squirrell responded to him. “He keeps falling down!”

“Then maybe I should teach him,” Achilles proposed.

“You know the rules,” Peter responded. “It is strictly forbidden.”

“Forbidden? why?”

He resolved at that moment that he would teach Thomas, no matter what the silly rules required. Thomas, who was exhausted, was breathing heavily and was even more determined to climb a tree. He stood up on his hind legs and lifted his small arms into the air as if to say, “I’m not going to give up no matter what the others might say.”

TRADITIONS

Herodotus Agamemnon Squirrel Prided himself on the eloquence of his oratory and he thought his pupils with the discipline of a stern taskmaster. Surrounding him in the three large branches of the majestic oak sat 12 young squirrels, Each fidgeting and hoping that they would not be called by him. He loved to ask questions to put him to the test, especially on the lore of the forest, and when they often fail to answer the questions correctly, he would click his teeth together and sometimes hiss in disappointment. “No,” his boisterous voice would pierce the damp air.

“How can I ever hope to pass on the knowledge I have so strenuously pursued to pupils such as you? Discipline, and diligence or what is required.”

“But Papa,” Young Melissa squirrel interrupted him. “We are also hungry and it’s hard to think with our stomachs empty.”

Her sweet voice disarmed him momentarily but he regained himself and said, “Let’s continue. Remember what I told you about the great pair Kavya to hold on a beautiful tree so many years ago? How we must honour that kind of hope that he gave us that we must preserve the acorns till the great day arrives.”

“I’ve heard this crazy story too many times,” Achilles squirrel nudged his brother Socrates aside as he found a place to rest his weary legs.

“I’m glad you decided to join us, Achilles?” His father greeted him. Could you tell your brothers and sisters the words of wisdom passed on by hundreds of generations?”

“Must I, Papa?”

His father began to click his teeth.

“On that great day, so many years ago, when a snowstorm which would have killed the strongest bear, the great Bear saved young Alfonso swirl and carved out this great hole in our three. He climbed inside and held Alfonso in his arms, warming him until the snow passed, and when young Alfonso woke alive, he asked the great Bear what he could do in gratitude. He told the young squirrel, ‘Save your acorns. Save the Forest’.”

His father rose up on his hind legs and rubbed his hands together in acknowledgement.

“You see, we must remember our traditions.”

“Can I ask you a question, Papa?” Achilles hesitated a moment.

“Certainly, son.”

“I don’t mean to be critical about traditions. But don’t bears eat squirrels?”

“Yes, they often do,” his father answered.

“Wasn’t it one of the coldest winters in history?”

“Of course.”

“Rather than eating young Alfonso squirrel, this Great Bear carved a hole in the tree and saved his life.”

“Yes.” His father paused. “You don’t believe this happened, do you Master Achilles?” He only called him this when he was disturbed with him.

His father was visibly troubled by his son’s reply. But rather than click his teeth or hiss at him, he began to speak more slowly and deliberately.

“We cannot assume that everything has always been the way that it is now. And yes I believe that long ago, one Great Bear saved the life of our beloved Alphonso.”

Achilles lowered his head, both afraid of what future consequence his remarks would have, but also happy that he had stood his ground.

“Now, go and finish your chores, Achilles. There will be other consequences.”

BEARS AND SNAKES

Life for a tree mouse was dangerous and exciting. They scampered through the tall grasses at the base of trees amid the bears and snakes and wolves and rabbits and all the other small animals that lived on the forest floor. But Thomas was always looking upward at their outstretched branches and longing to one day be in the trees. When he wasn’t trying to run up the tree, he spent his days gathering nuts and berries. But he never ate the nuts. He had been told to save them for some future feast. They would hide them deep in the forest in a place only the tree mice knew. Stories were told of huge caverns where all anyone could see were acorns and acorns and more acorns.

The one great rule for tree mice above all others was to stay away from bears and snakes. Bears it was told would eat you when they were hungry. But snakes would eat you just for the fun of it.

Thomas knew he had firm instructions never to venture far from the tree and to wander off into the forest was one of the most dangerous things of all. Yet he longed to practice his tree climbing away from the others, away from the constant ridicule and he knew he had to find a secluded place where he might improve his climbing skills.

But which direction to go, that was the problem. Where would he least likely encounter the very snakes and bears he knew might eat him? He looked to his left and could see a dense wall of trees dangling like a curtain before his eyes. He turned to his right and he could see into a clearing and he could hear the sound of running water in the distance and he knew that this direction led to the river. Once his father had taken him deep into the forest, nearly a half a day’s walk in that direction, he remembered he could hear the sound of the water, loud and frightening, like a roaring mountain lion and it frightened him. He was still too afraid to go in this direction.

He turned around and looked behind him and he could hear the sound of birds, and the rustling sound of deer grazing on the tall grasses. This sound also frightened him. He resolved he would go out and find a place to practice climbing. But it would not be this day.

“Courage,” he repeated to himself. “Courage.”

CAPTAIN OF HIS DOMAIN

Hector the owl soared a hundred feet above the top of the tree, his great wings outstretched and his eyes darting back and forth looking for prey on the ground beneath him. He often flew in figure eights circling back and forth above the tallest tree and then finding a branch near the top of the tallest pine to land and rest his wings. He knew he was powerful and he revelled in his great fortune to fly, to soar high above the world below and watch it in awe, while those below him were forever trapped on the ground,

A SNAKE COMES INTO THE FOREST

Samuel was not like other snakes. He did not revel in the thrill of the hunt, He did not savour the taste of mice and squirrels. He did not practice striking and slithering and hiding in the grass. None of the tasks that would be in his nature interested him in the least. While other snakes were lying in wait, ready to pounce and strike. Samuel would raise his head up in the air and look skyward. He was in awe of the deep blue skies of summer and the dancing clouds that inspired him to lift his head ever higher. More than anything else he wished to fly, to soar above the trees and reach the beautiful sky, which seemed to stretch forever above him. But he knew he had been made a snake and snakes would never fly.

“I must go away. I must find another place.” He lifted his head and sighed. “Goodbye, my friends.”