TOMMY the TREE
MEETS A FRIEND
BY KATIE BOWMAN
Once upon a time there stood a tree named Tommy.
He stood alone in the backyard of a very busy
family. They were always coming and going. Tommy
sighed as the family would play, work in the yard,
have picnics and walk by.
One day while Tommy was sighing a little bird
landed on him. She was small and colorful and had a
very cheery chirp. Her name was Rockin’ Robinette.
She was singing a happy tune. Just then Tommy
started to cry.
“What’s the matter,” said Robinette, “does my
singing bother you?”
“No, your singing is so beautiful,” sniffed Tommy.
“Then why are you crying?” asked Robinette.
“You are lucky to be able to sing and fly and
go places. I have to stay here all the time. I get
very sad and lonely,” he said.
“I too get very sad and lonely but my mama taught
me to always be friendly and I’ll have plenty of
friends to keep me company. Would you like to be
my friend?” asked the little bird.
At that moment Tommy and Rockin’ Robinette
became friends.
“Let me tell you something,” chirped
Robinette,“singing is fine, and I love it, but flying
around and going places gets old.”
“Do you know what it is like to get lost from your
friends and family all the time? Do you know how
hard it is to find a new home every time the wind
blows?”replied the little bird.
“I wish I had solid roots like you. You have
stability I will never have.”
Soon Robinette built her nest high in Tommy’s
branches. She would sing and Tommy would sway to
the songs. Tommy provided her with stability of a
new, strong, sturdy home.
One day when Robinette flew back to her nest,
Tommy was crying again.
“What’s the matter?”, asked Robinette.
“Those trees over there, across the alley, are
laughing at me,” Tommy cried. “They say I am slow.”
“There are four of them and only one of me and
they must be right, right?” asked Tommy.
“Right?!?” squawked the bird.
“Don’t you know who they are? They are the
careless cottonwoods. They are the meanest,
messiest, most menacing…they are always spittin’
out a mess of some kind. They bother almost
everyone.”
Robinette went on,“they are the bullies of the
block. They leave their seeds all over the place and
make every body feel bad. Sure they grow fast but
you know what that means don’t you?”
“My grandfeather told me that they may grow
fast but they will not life a very long life. Fast
growers may seem nice but they are not as sturdy
and dependable as those with deeper roots,”
Robinette explained to Tommy.
“Tommy, you are an oak tree,” said the bird. “Don’t
you know what that means?”
“Why, no,” replied Tommy sheepishly.
“That means you will live to be hundreds of years
old. You are the mightiest tree of all.
People love you, children love you, squirrels and
bugs and birds love you. You are perfect just the
way you are. Do you know what that means?” asked
Robinette.
“No,” said Tommy blushing.
“A thing that is perfect is the greatest,” said the
little bird. “You couldn’t be any better. You’re the
best. Everybody knows so.”
“Really?” asked Tommy.
“You are so lucky to be growing slow,” Robinette
explained, “You will have deep roots and a sturdy
foundation. You will live to tell a lot of tales. You will
be able to tell about the cottonwoods long after they
have been cut down.”
“Really?” Tommy whimpered. He was sure glad he
and Robinette were friends.
Upon hearing this Tommy stood tall and stretched
his branches wide.
And from that day forward Tommy was never sad
or lonely again. He provided stability and security
for many people, children, squirrels, bugs and
especially birds.
THE END