The Tree That Never Dies

There is an old pear tree that sits atop the hill at the edge of the village. No one really knows how old the tree really is. It is believed to have lived through a number of wars and plagues. Almost one hundred years ago, the village was cursed with a terrible heat wave that destroyed the crops and dried the village of water. Of all of the trees and crops that died, the pear tree was the only thing that survived. When war broke out in the village and after the bombs fell desecrating a number of homes, animals, and plant life, the tree continued to stand tall on the hill completely untouched from the destruction.

There are a great many who look at the tree as if it was a gift from god. How else could it have survived all of these years given the destruction that it has faced? Perhaps the pear tree is the tree that Adam and Eve were told not to eat from. That is a theory that has been passed down from generation to generation and although no one can explain how the tree continues to live, it can be agreed upon that no harm must come to the tree. Pears grow from the branches of the tree and for people who have been lucky enough to taste one of these fruits can attest to the great taste of these magnificent pears. They have the power to bring comfort and health to anyone who may be suffering from starvation. The juice from these fruits can cure the harshest of thirsts.

For many, it is believed that the tree holds the power to end world hunger, but it seems that the human race must learn to work together before this is made possible. Some have tried to regrow the tree elsewhere by taking parts of its roots and growing it someplace else. Scientists and government officials frequently visit the tree to study it so they can hope to grow it in a lab. Each of these efforts have been met with failure. It appears that despite all of the mistakes and sins that mankind continues to create, nature continues to look out for us.

The people in this village could have kept the tree a secret from the rest of the world but if that were to happen, maybe the tree wouldn’t have been so kind to them. Perhaps it is sentient enough to know the intentions of the people that encounter it. One thing is for certain, after mankind dies and no one is around to see the tree, it will continue to stand on the top of that hill. It will live on while we scramble trying to save what little we have left. For years, some were afraid of the tree.

There is an old story that tells of a woman who used to eat from the tree. Everyday, she would walk up to the hill and take a pear that hung from one of the branches. This woman never seemed to age despite taking the same walk up the same hill to the same tree for more than thirty years. When members of the village got wind of this woman’s ability to escape aging, she was accused of which craft and was hung from the branches of the very tree that had treated her so kindly for over three decades. Despite this terrible history, the tree never took revenge or held any contempt towards the people. Perhaps such feelings are beneath it.

To this day, if you go to the village and take the walk up the hill, the pear tree continues to stand where it has always stood, where it will continue to stand. It has taken its rightful place here on Earth, looking over the people, sharing its fruit.