|
|
|
|
The Crying Tree
Slits in the side of the tree show the several attempts to cut down the large crying elm. 99.10.06/ Temperature: 0C/ Weather: Partly cloudy/Wind Direction: No wind
Start: Tomamu/Latitude: 43 09 53 N/ Longitude: 142 48 22 E Destination:Shimukappu Station/Latitude: 42 59 42 N /Longitude: 142 23 52 E
Distance Traveled: 27 kmThe resort town of Tomamu was very desolate this morning when I passed through. Old houses lay to the outskirts. New high-rise apartments for resort staff were opposite the giant ski and golf resort. Not a single soul was out on the golf course. The two-lane road wound its way down in a small valley along the Mu River.
If nothing else, a crying tree might make you think twice about building roads. The road bent awkwardly around an old elm tree. A sign was propped up in front of it.
"A Strange Crying Tree," was written in large black characters on the sign. It told that the tree was an obstacle to road construction and that people have attempted to cut it down several times. However, when the saw blade was placed on the tree, it cried as if it was groaning. A sense of reverence for the tree was created amongst those trying to cut it down and it still stands today.
The large crying elm stands tall and proud to stand still over route 136. I could see four separate slits in the tree, where saw blades had obviously attempted to cut their way through. The crying tree stood over me tall and dignified. Its slowly weakening limbs stretched up about 10 meters toward the sky. The orange and red leaves indicated that the tree isn't ready to give-in soon, and that it is ready to spend another winter here. Its Moss covered trunk as well as its rotting appendages are signs of the tree's age and the battles it has fought.
Sitting near the base of the tree, I thought back on the hundreds of kilometers I have traveled since the start of this journey. I remembered how many road construction sites I had pass and tried to imagine how many trees similar to this one had been cut down. How many construction workers have felt in awe of giant trees such as the one that stood in front of me?
It seems nowadays that people feel less and less in awe of nature's grandness. As we live further and further from nature, its sounds and cries might become harder and harder to hear. In spite of this, the elm I sat beneath today has had voice enough to become a legend among people, and probably among trees. The tree itself is all the wiser for crying out. We humans might be wise to tune our ears a little bit more to the calls of nature.
Greg
to Top News Page of Wisdom
< >
Copyright World School Network & ECO-CLUB, 1998-99. No reproduction or republication without written permission.
Send feedback to info@wschool.net
