A Tree's Revenge

When a tree fights back against bullying.

There once was a tree that stood in the middle of a rainforest. He lived a very quiet life, for the most part. Never got into trouble, never had a hateful thought towards any living thing. But unfortunately, the other occupants of the rainforest didn't feel the same. You see, our tree was different than all of the other foliage. He was uncommon among them and hated for it. The other plants ridiculed and mocked the tree, made fun of its strange leaves and branches, because it just wasn't the same. He didn't belong. Its entire life, the tree endured this emotional abuse, lived with the torments without one complaint. But one day, he learned a word. It was a very simple word that many learn from birth. It came to him with the wind, for the wind spoke of many dangerous things. It whispered the word into the tree's ear, a secret to change his life forever:

Revenge.

It was a new meaning, a new thing for our tree. To return all the malice that had been shown to him? The more he thought about it, the more he decided it was the thing to do. And so, he came up with a magnificent scheme.

There was a little bird who had a big ego. She preened her feathers for twenty hours a day, and displayed them and their marvelous colors for all to see. When the little bird flew past him, he called out to her, told her how wonderful her feathers were today. She was reluctant to stop. Talking to the tree could prove bad for her reputation. But the more he fluffed her ego, the more she was willing to listen. After he had weaved a web of compliments and pretty words, he asked for a favor. Surely, a bird as pretty as she could accomplish anything! He told her of a place across the ocean that would near worship she and her pretty feathers if she would bring them a twig from one of the other plants. Blinded by her greed for fame, she gathered not one, but three twigs from three different plants, and made the journey across the sea until she reached the United States. There, she was found by scientists. They took her twigs and praised her for her gift. Magazine articles were published about her, TV specials, websites even!

She was never heard or seen from again.

The American scientists came to the rainforest and discovered the plants that lived there. So many different species, so many rare beauties! Several were uprooted, taken back to the 'States to be studied in laboratories. Those that were not taken for examination died from depression. Their leaves were torn, their friends were gone, their lives were ruined.

Do not fret, lovelies – I have not forgotten about our tree. His plan successful, his wish fulfilled, he went on to live a long a peaceful life. Why, he still stands in the very same spot of the rainforest to this day! Why didn't the scientists take him as well, you ask? He was, after all, different from all the other plants. Weren't the scientists interested in his uniqueness, you ask? Well, if you'll let me get a word in edgewise, I'll tell you. You see, it was his different uniqueness that saved him.

When the scientists came, they only looked for the things they had never seen. Their uncommon, their rarities. They never looked for their common, and that was what the tree was. The tree was only rare to those that surrounded it, only different compared to the plants of the rainforest. But when it came to the scientists… He was their common, and the most common at that. What kind, you say? Well, I suppose it couldn't hurt to tell you.

A maple, ordinary and average.

The moral of the story, duckies, is blatantly clear:

Don't screw with maple trees in the middle of rainforests.