by Tabitha Akery

Created on: August 25, 2008   Last Updated: September 21, 2008

The Little Tree that Stood

The little tree arrived from a catalog as two little sticks. It was very difficult to tell the two sticks apart. The only way to tell which was the little tree was the ball of roots on one end. The other stick was the support stick, designed to keep the tree upright as it grew.

The little tree got planted in the backyard in a big open area. Lots of fertilizer and daily watering enabled the little tree to establish itself. The support stick kept the little tree upright and growing in the right direction.

The little tree acquired its leaves and even bloomed once before winter set in. The full sunlight kept the little tree growing. As winter passed, and spring entered, the little tree had grown a little, but still needing its support stick.

One day, the threat of an impending storm stole the front page news. A tropical storm was on its way. High winds and heavy rain were approaching the place the little tree knew as home.

Dark clouds rolled in and the wind picked up. At first, it was like ever other rain storm, the little tree felt. The wind grew harder and harder. The rain went from a drizzle to a downpour in an instant. The tropical storm had arrived.

The whipping wind broke the support stick that held the little tree up. It was now standing against the storm itself. The swift and sudden downpours pounded the little tree to the ground. The little tree, with its trunk bent over, whipped around at the mercy of the wind.

The rain and wind continued its unrelenting attack for four days. The tropical storm would not go away. Other trees broke and branches fell as the tropical storm kept pounding away. Finally, the sky cleared and the tropical storm moved on to other places.

The little tree had survived intact. The pounding wind and rain tried its best but the little tree remained sound. It now stands proudly, in the backyard with its new support stick tied to the trunk. With the hope, that another storm will not break it.

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