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THE EVOLUTION OF THE ELMAPLE FOREST

A couple of seeds scattered by the wind landed close enough to know each other yet far enough to grow their own way. The maple grew tall, reaching for the sky and the elm tree became slender, burrowing roots deep into the ground. One day the elm and the maple saw each other through the branches of their loved ones and slowly reached out until their leaves touched, dancing in the wind. Their branches became tangled, and they found they didn't want to dance alone. In fact, they wanted to dance closer, closer than their trunks could ever really be.

So through the hot dry summer the elm let its long branches reach for the sky where they could catch the leaves of the maple in their gay autumn whirl, and the maple thrust its roots into the warm ground where they spread in a circle round the roots of the elm tree.

 
© 2005 Lisa Helene Donovan