The Learning Tree--Part Four

There have been several questions about The Learning Tree... I wrote it about fifteen years ago. It was the first short story I wrote. Where did the idea come from? I don't know. Like most of my best writing, I sat down and it just appeared. Thank you to all of you who have commented on the story. Your pleasure from my words means a great deal to me.

And now Part Four...

Aunt Jimaileen closed her eyes, rocking slowly.

"What happened then? How did we get the learning tree?" I asked. It seemed to me that the story wasn't quite complete.

Her eyes popped open. "You are the end of the story, Benjalynne. I am old now. You are the last of the sea captain's descendents. When I die, you must take care of the learning tree."

"No!"

She smiled sadly. "Oh, Benjalynne, I wish I could be around when you have children. I wish I could be there to watch you with them. You will be a good mother. You must choose wisely when you pass the learning tree to the next generation."

Slowly, she left the room, and for the first time, I realized that she was very old. Age was such a nebulous thing. How old was old? I sat on the sofa long after she left, contemplating all that she had told me. The learning tree was a terrible responsibility that I instinctively rejected, knowing all the while that I had no choice, knowing that it was my heritage.


****


"What did Aunt Jimaileen see when she held the learning tree?" asked my son, Jacob, as he rocked beside my bed.


"She never told me. She died the following week from a heart attack. I think she knew that it was coming." I rested for a while. "Perhaps she thought I was too young to tell."


"Will you tell me what you saw, Mum?"


"No… I don't think so. But I will tell you that the learning tree approves of you. You must take it now and care for it. Guard it well. There are evil people, power seekers that would take it from you."


"Remember, my son, choose wisely when you pass on the legend of the learning tree."

Anny

Today is Sunday so there is a rest from the Saga. But there is still some good stuff on the blogs! Kelly has her Sunday Quote at www.kkirch.blogspot.com and Amarinda will possibly discuss her Sunday chores this week--she's been tearing up her driveway. There is nothing Amarinda can't do so pop over to www.amarindajones.blogspot.com and read all about it! Blessings on your Sunday.

The Learning Tree--Part Three

But first! It's my turn for the Saga...



Amarinda left us with a threat:

“We shrink Rafe to the size of a peanut unless Rinalda reveals the secret of the golden carrot.”

“Whoa! Do you think she will do it?” Sparky was in awe that Oz would demand something so audacious. The secret of the golden carrot was the stuff of legends.

“I guess that would depend on how much she likes peanuts.” Lawrence squawked in shock. “I said ‘peanuts’ Lawrence.”



And my solution?

The trio heard an ominous humming. “Oz, I know what you’re up to,” The Mary warned. “It won’t work.”

Oz peered at the casino security screen as Rinalda and Rafe were hustled into The Mary’s presence by security guards. “Well, Rinalda? What do you have to say for yourself?”

Rinalda waved a crumpled stained piece of paper in Mary’s face. “Did you see what they sent me? They’re threatening me! Me!” she declared in outrage.

The Mary snatched the paper from her hands and scanned it quickly. “To Rinalda: You will tell us the secret of the golden carrot. Else we will shrink Rafe to peanut size.
Oz, Sparky and Lawrence--The Triad”

Rafe frowned at the tiny woman in front of him. “What’s the big deal? As long as they have a peeler, they’re in business.”

Rinalda hissed as her quills stood erect. Slowly, Emmeline stood with her quills clacking like castanets. They closed in on Rafe with frightening menace on their faces.

“Stop!” A terrible roar blasted through the casino as The Mary bellowed. Silence fell on the great room. “Oz?” she called. “Did you hear that? Find that blasted peeler!”

“No worries, mate. I’m on the job! Come Sparky, we have work to do.”

“What about Lawrence?” Sparky asked in a small voice.



“Never fear, Grasshopper will be here shortly to take care of Lawrence!”



What will Kelly do on Monday? Stay tuned!



And now--Part Three of The Learning Tree



Seeking Wisdom tramped along the north road until he reached the last house. It was a tumbledown shack, set on a barren plot of land. This could not be the place! In his experience, village elders lived in the biggest houses in the village.


An old man came out of the hut and gestured for him to approach. "A monk! Come in, come in! Tell me the news from your travels."


Seeking Wisdom moved slowly. "I will gladly tell you my news, but first--can you tell me where I can find Jade Carver?"


Cocking his head to one side, the old man replied, "I am Jade Carver. How can I be of assistance to you?"


Cradling the scarlet silk bundle in his hands, Seeking Wisdom held it out so that Jade Carver could see it clearly. "I found this--and an old man's bones--in a hut at the other end of the village. This object is too precious to be left in the hut and the old man's remains should be laid to rest with more respect than that."


Jade Carver recoiled, horrified by the object Seeking Wisdom held; abruptly, he seemed to shrivel and grow smaller. "Come in, my son, and I will tell you about that terrible object you hold--and about the old man, Wise One. But whatever you do, do not unwrap the tree and do not touch it with your bare hands. That is a learning tree and it's cursed."



He led the way into his hut, and when they were seated, he told Seeking Wisdom the entire history of the learning tree. "After Wise One died, I sought out Exalted One, but he would tell me nothing, except that the tree shows the far future. It was terrible! I am glad that I am an old man and will never see it!" He paused to gather his thoughts. "Of course, that is not the curse; when you touch the tree, you can see the far future. Later, when you are feeling blessed because you were saved from the terror, nightmares destroy your sleep like gleeful demons. During the day, if you contemplate doing an evil deed, even a small one, you see the final consequences."


"Is that not a good thing?"


Jade Carver pointed a shaking finger at the young monk. "Imagine knowing the end result of every action you might take. Soon, it becomes impossible to do anything without fearing that you might bring harm on someone." He nodded slowly to himself. "My wife left me. My children laugh at me. I wait to die and know that it will be soon."


"Why not destroy the tree?" Seeking Wisdom asked sensibly.


"I begged for Exalted One to do so. He said that it had protections so that it cannot be destroyed. It must be hidden away to protect others." Jade Carver stared at his visitor thoughtfully. "Your monastery would be the best solution. Surely, there is someplace the tree would be safe."


Seeking Wisdom considered the consequences of taking responsibility for the statue, then said, "I will take it and hide it well. You must take care of Wise One's bones and show him the respect he deserves. And you must never tell anyone of the existence of the tree."


"No, never!" Jade Carver hastily agreed. "Never in my life!" The men parted amicably, each satisfied with the outcome of their visit.


For a very long time, the jade tree stayed safely hidden in the monastery. Seeking Wisdom moved up through the ranks until finally, he held the position of Master, earning great respect; other monks came to him for advice. When he knew his time to die was near, he passed the secret and history of the learning tree on to the next Master.


Several generations passed this way. Then a time of great unrest swept the country, with rumors of terrible bandit bands roving and robbing even the monasteries and the poor.
The Master remembered the statue and worried. If the monastery was pillaged, what might happen to it? He decided it would be safer in the underground vault. When he picked up the learning tree, the scarlet silk wrap slid from his grasp. For the first time in more than a thousand years, the learning tree was cradled in human hands.


Images of a foreign sea captain flashed across his mind. He saw the captain holding the carefully wrapped learning tree; the captain sailed his ship away; a small girl, a foreigner also, hid the tree in a little trunk. So he knew, at last. His country would no longer provide haven for the learning tree. Sighing, he found the scarlet silk and rewrapped the tree.


The next day he journeyed to the nearest seaport and searched out the captain he had seen in the images. At first, the captain was most reluctant to undertake responsibility for the learning tree, but the Master finally persuaded him. The captain sailed away to his home with the learning tree.


When he arrived there, he sold his ship, moved away from the sea, and married. Time moved by. When he was old and near his death, he passed on the legend and the learning tree to one of his sons, charging him with the responsibility of protecting it.



Tomorrow...Part Four.



Anny


Well! Kelly has Dinosaurs and Dragons on her blog. Very interesting. I must go look up the references she brought up. Check it out at http://www.kkirch.blogspot.com/ and then pop over to Amarinda's blog at http://www.amarindajones.blogspot.com/ for her weekly take on Saturday in OZ! Blessings on your day.

The Learning Tree--Part Two

Yesterday we left off with Jade Carver accepting a commision to carve a jade tree in exchange for a spell that told the future. And so...

Over the next year, Wise One read many scrolls, searching for the best incantations for the spell. He walked the roads of all the surrounding area, listening to the tales of the storytellers and the local gossips. Dismayed, he realized that the number of disquieting things he was hearing about Jade Carver was increasing.

He sought out an old magician, older even than himself, and asked for his advice. "Exalted One, what shall I do? This man is evil. I feel his evil intent for the use of this spell."

Exalted One considered the things that Wise One told him about the jade carver. He thought about the ways the spell could be used, both good and evil. Then, he said, "Wise One, we cannot judge the heart of another man; we cannot know what his intentions are. However, we can guard against the spell being used for evil. This is what you must do…" He taught Wise One how to hedge the spell with guards; patiently, he taught him the ancient words and gestures.

Wise One went back to his hut and practiced all that Exalted One had taught him every day so that he would be ready when Jade Carver returned. Finally, the day came when the carver brought him the jade tree. Wise One marveled that the evil carver could produce something so exquisite. "You must leave now," he said to Jade Carver. "I must have complete concentration and peace to cast the spell. Return tomorrow." The carver, displeased with Wise One's command, left reluctantly.

The next day, when Jade Carver returned, he was astonished at the change in Wise One's appearance. Overnight, he had aged many years; his face had the waxy pallor of impending death and the frantic palsied movements of his hands left him unable to hold his teacup.
Wise One gestured toward the tiny jade tree, wrapped in a scarlet silk cloth. "Take it!" he commanded in a quavery voice. "Take it and leave!"

Snatching the silk-wrapped statue from the low table, Jade Carver slowly backed away. "How does the spell work, old man?"

"When you wish to see the future, remove the silk wrap, hold the tree in both hands, and you will know."

Shoving the hut door open, Jade Carver left, letting the door slam behind him. Hurrying down the path, he unwrapped the scarlet silk, letting it flutter to the ground. Grasping it with both hands, he stumbled to a halt as terrible images flashed through his mind. Gigantic blossoms of flame consumed entire villages and towns; enormous silver birds roared through the air; terrible rockets, taller than the highest hill, shot into a burning blue sky.

He dropped to his knees, fumbling blindly for the scarlet silk. The images continued to bombard him; vast firestorms blew through forests, leveling everything in their path. He found the silk, roughly bundled the tree into it, and sat back on his heels with a sigh of relief when the images stopped.

When he had regained his composure, he decided to go back and berate Wise One. On arriving at the hut, he shoved the door open without knocking, so consumed by his anger that he had no thought for the courtesies. Wise One was stretched out on his pallet in the corner, giving every appearance of peace.

That fueled Jade Carver's anger further; he rushed across the hut, seized Wise One, and shook him roughly until he realized that Wise One was already dead. Horrified, he cast Wise One's body back on the pallet and rushed from the hut, leaving the jade tree behind. Later, he told the villagers that Wise One had gone on a journey seeking enlightenment so on one went near the hut, fearing a curse if they should disturb anything.

One rainy afternoon, many years later, a young monk entered the hut, looking for shelter from the wet and cold. Seeking Wisdom was quite dismayed when he discovered Wise One's remains carelessly dumped on the pallet. Backing away, he stumbled over the scarlet silk bundle. With a wary eye on Wise One, although he was surely beyond the ability to harm him, Seeking Wisdom carried the silk bundle over to the open doorway and carefully unwrapped it enough to see what it was.

A precious object, such as this tree, should never be left in this hut, he thought. What should he do? While he waited for the rain to stop, he meditated on that. Finally, when the storm was over, he decided to go to the village elder. The tree and Wise One's remains needed to be cared for. The village elder should be the one to make the arrangements. Having settled that in his mind, he entered the village and sought out the elder. The shopkeeper told him, "The elder? He lives in the last house on the north road. Just ask for Jade Carver. He will be glad to visit with a monk."

Anny

What are Kelly and Amarinda up to? Check Kelly's blog at http://www.kkirch.blogspot.com/ for an interview with author Jaqueline Roth and then pop over to Amarinda's blog at http://www.amarindajones.blogspot.com/ to read the latest installment of the Blogga Saga. Blessings on your day.

The Learning Tree--Part one.

This is a short story I wrote a while back. Each day I'll put another part on the blog until it's complete. I hope you enjoy the story... Anny Cook



The learning tree was old. The sea captain who brought it to America from China in 1837 told his young daughter that it was over a thousand years old. Carved of pale lavender jade with minuscule birds perched on its twisty limbs, it stood exactly six inches from the base to the very top tiny leaves. Its value was beyond price. And the very first time I ever saw it, it was sitting on Aunt Jimaileen's front hall table.

As a small girl, I wasn't allowed to touch the learning tree; naturally, that made it twice as fascinating. For hours I would sit on the hall bench staring at it, dreaming all of the dreams younglings dream.

"Why is it called the learning tree?" I asked Aunt Jimaileen one day.

She shot a stern look at me over the top of her bifocals. "Because that is it's name. Something that old should always have a name."

"But why is it called that?" I persisted.

"Aunt Jimaileen sighed. "You are the most curious child, Benjalynne. Where do all of your questions come from?"

I shrugged. Who knew where questions came from? They just popped into my mind sometimes--usually when I was supposed to be paying attention to something else. Abruptly, another thought occurred to me. "Don't you know why it's called the learning tree?"

Well! Aunt Jimaileen reared back and stared at me as though I had suddenly grown two horns. "What do you mean, having the audacity to say something like that to me!" she demanded with outrage.

Feeling very small, I hung my head, and worried the floral pattern of the hall rug with the toe of my scuffed Buster Browns. "Sorry, Aunt Jimaileen," I muttered very, very softly, thinking that now I would never find out about the learning tree.

Evidently, my genuine sorrow touched a chord in her tough old scrawny chest. She inhaled deeply, wrapped the learning tree in the scarlet silk scarf it rested on, lifted it with trembling fingers and carried it into the parlor. "Come along, now," she commanded firmly. Seating herself in the old bentwood rocker, she nodded toward the hard horsehair sofa. "Sit."

Tucking my red plaid skirt beneath my shaking legs, I perched on the edge of the sofa carefully crossing my ankles to give my best impression of a young lady. Aunt Jimaileen set great store on being lady-like.

Patiently, I watched her rock silently, cradling the learning tree in her bony lap. She leaned her head against the high rocker back, pushing her fluffy white bun askew. Having never seen her hair worn any other way, I idly wondered how long it really was. Her eyes were closed. I considered the possibility that she might have fallen asleep, but rejected it when slow tears trickled down her face. I jumped up, alarm sweeping through me. Aunt Jimaileen never cried except at funerals. "What's wrong?" Even to my ears, my voice sounded quavery.

Her dark eyes popped open and she sighed, but she made no attempt to wipe the tears away. "Benjalynne, sit down. I'll tell you the legend of the learning tree now. I was waiting for you to grow up more… You'll just have to grow up faster than I planned."

"This is the legend of the learning tree."



Far away, in old China, Jade Carver sought out a poor magician. "Wise One," he said, "I wish to know my future. I must plan for the well-being of my family and ancestors."

Wise One studied the jade carver kneeling before him. Jade Carver sat in a humble pose, but something in his posture disturbed the magician. There was a hint of assurance or even arrogance that negated the humble image. Wise One puttered around his small fire, brewing tea, setting out the teacups, while he considered the possible reasons for Jade Carver's visit. "Why is it so important to know the future?" he asked curiously. "Every man must plan for the well-being of his family, and none know the future."

Wise One felt the wave of impatience radiating from the carver as he replied shortly, "Yes, yes--but I have a thriving business and so must plan more carefully than a poor man."

While drinking his tea, Wise One thought about the various options open to him. Finally, he said, "Telling the future is very hard. It will require a great effort and much work for me to cast the appropriate spell…"

"I will pay! What do you wish?"

"Hmm." Wise One stroked his long white beard. "I must have something precious to cast the spell with. You are a carver of jade; find a perfect piece of jade, pale in color, and carve a tree from it. When you are finished, bring it to me."

"But that will take many months!" Jade Carver cried.

Wise One shrugged. "Even so, I must have it for the spell. Perhaps knowing the future isn't as important as you have suggested…"

Jade Carver cringed. "No, no. I must have the spell. I will do as you have asked and bring you the jade tree when it is complete."

Nodding slowly, Wise One agreed, "When it is finished, come to see me again."

Please return tomorrow for Part Two. In the meantime, Kelly has the Saga today at www.kkirch.blogspot.com and Amarinda has guest author Barbara at www.amarindajones.blogspot.com Blessings on your day.