The Magical Tree by Kat Rose

THE MAGICAL TREE KAT ROSE

Once upon a time, a long time ago, there was a drought. The rains did not fall and the ground was...

DRY

DRY

DRY.

All the animals, they came together to ask,

“What is happening and who can help?”

The lion, he was there as judge and roared,

“Does anyone know where we can find water?”

And all the animals they move their hooves and wag their tails this way and that but none came up with an answer...

...except a small mouse.

The mouse came forward saying, “I remember, I remember when I was small my great-grandmother told me a story, a story of a magical tree and if anyone knew its name, it would produce lots of beautiful things, fruit from every limb and water for us to drink.”

Lion smiled and asked,

“Then brother mouse, tell us what is the name of this magical tree?”

“Ummm… errr… I can't remember, I can't remember!” said the mouse, “But I do remember that there is a wise person that lives on top of that sacred mountain and they know the name of the magical tree.”

The lion roared,

“RAAA!

This is good, then which one of us will go to the wise one for the name of the magical tree?”

The animals, they move this way and that way but the deer, she came forward saying,

“I CAN LEAP! I CAN JUMP! My hooves are good for mountain terrain!”

And before you knew it, she began to...

A

LEA P

D

JU MP AND LEAP AN

ND

JUM P

D N A ER H G I H

HER

HI

G

UP T

H

TA IN

N U M O E

!

There she found a wise person sat there cross-legged, hands by their side.

The deer came close and nuzzled the wise one upon their cheek.

The wise one saw the deer and said,

“Oh there is a drought, no water about, no water about. But you know of a name of a magical tree!”

“Sister deer, why do you come to see me?”

“I will give what you ask, the name is...

BAOBAB!”

And the deer took the words into her own mouth and memory and started to sing,

“BAOBAB! BAOBAB!”

As she was making her way down the side of the mountain, she was picking up speed going...

FASTE

R

AND

FASTER

!

But there was something that she had forgotten… there was a deep hole, a ravine and she fell...

DO

WN

DO

W

N

DO

W

N.

..

...and hurt her leg! She crawled out and continued her journey down to base camp, there was the lion waiting....

“Ahh the deer has

“The name… of the tree is… umm… berries… um… Oh! I can’t remember, I hurt my leg, I fell into a deep ravine and now the pain is in my head!”

returned. Sister deer tell us, what is the name of this magical tree?”

And the lion roared,

“RAAA!

Is there any other one of us who will go to the mountain and not forget?”

“BRUUUM PPH

” !

H

trumpeted the elephant,

“I am the one with the unforgettable memory, I will not forget!”

BE D! M

D

HIG HE R THE ELE

PH

N A ER H HIG

And the elephant began to make his way up to the summit of the mountain...

I L C AN T

n urt! dh

...his trunk w as

And on his way back, do you know what the elephant forgot? He forgot the ravine, the hole and he fell and before you knew it... all twisted a

By the time he made his way down to base camp, lion was waiting…

“Brother elephant, tell us what is the name of the magical tree?”

“Um… the name of the tree is um… bananas um no no no… um... the name is…

...Oh! I hurt my trunk, the pain is in my brain, I cannot remember, I have forgotten!” and elephant trumpted off.

The lion roared again, And all the animals move this way and that, until tortoise came forward and said...

“RAAA! Is there anyone amongst us who will go and not forget?”

“I W ILL GO, I WI LL N FOR OT GET !”

And the lion said, “Tortoise, you are small and you are slow by the time you go and return, we will all be a bag of bones.”

But tortoise piped up,

WILL GO.”

AND SL

UNITY. I

OW

“I AM THE SYMBOL OF STRENGTH AND OF

AD Y

So tortoise began her journey up the side of the mountain...

STEA Y D

D N A

... SL

D N A OW

E T S

“Tortoise, why have you come?”

“The deer and the elephant have forgotten but I will not forget. Please tell me the name of the tree, we are so thirsty!”

“Tortoise, I will tell you. I come to the mountain for peace and quiet. If you cannot remember, tell the creatures no more must come, do you understand?”

“I understand.”

Tortoise came to the base camp where the lion and all the other creatures were still arguing until monkey saw tortoise and said,

“HA!

Tortoise, you haven’t even left yet!”

Tortoise saw her moment, she drew in her breath and blurted out...

...“

B

AOBA

! ” B

Deer and elephant heard tortoise and shouted,

“THAT’S IT, THAT’S IT, BAOBAB!”

EM

BE

!”

E REM W “

And the creatures all joined in as they sung,

ER B M E M R! W RE E

The animals formed a long procession, the long line into a sacred grove where a huge tree grows. Some call it the upside down tree, it grows in different parts of the world...

They circled the tree and they said after...

ONE...

TWO...

THREE...

A “B

O

...from its roots, there was water and from its branches, there was the bud, there was a flower, there was the fruit.

BA B!”

And the tree began to tremble...

They all sighed...

A A “ A HHH !”

This tale is from East Africa and told

by Tuup. It's all about a magical tree. When you call out its name, it grows delicious fruits and gushes water from its roots. But, you have to remember its name!