(Japanese Legend Retold)
Once upon a time a humble willow tree with gnarled and twisted
branches grew near a tall and stately companion called the bamboo
tree. Many people who passed by stopped to admire the shapely bamboo,
but no one seemed to notice the old willow tree.
One morning when the sun shone brightly after a soft rain a timid
little plant with a delicate stem sprang up between the two trees,
and looked pleadingly toward the straight, strong trunk of the
bamboo. But the bamboo tossed her plumy foliage and said haughtily,
“Do not look to me for help. I shall not let you cling around my
trunk.”
“Let me take hold of you until I grow a little stronger,” begged the
little plant. But the bamboo drew away and said, “Keep away. I can
not allow you to cling to my beautiful branches.”
Then the kind old willow tree whispered through her leaves, “Do not
be discouraged, little one. The sun is shining, and the soft rain
will come to refresh you. Come to me if you like, and grip your
little green fingers into my bark. Do not be afraid. In the shade of
my branches you shall be protected. Come.”
The tiny plant still looked longingly toward the handsome bamboo.
But at last she crept over the grass to the old willow, and began
to twine around the sheltering branches. Up, up, the slender vine
climbed to the very top of the tree. There it tossed out so many
lovely green shoots that the people who passed stopped to enjoy its
beauty. And when the early fall days came large buds appeared on the
vine.
The bamboo looked at the swelling buds and said, “I wonder what those
ugly knobs on the vine mean. Perhaps she has brought some disease
which may affect all the trees of the country.”
The willow made no answer to the bamboo, but in her kindly way she
whispered to the vine, “Do not feel hurt, I know what the swelling
buds mean.”
There was a gentle rain at night, and in the morning the sun shone
radiantly in a clear sky. The green buds which covered the vine burst
forth into beautiful, sweet-scented blossoms. From crown to foot
the old willow tree stood bedecked with glorious colour. The owner
of the land called his friends to see the wonder. They looked in
amazement at the richly coloured blossoms. Then the master called his
labourers, and told them to clear a space about the willow tree.
“Cut down the bamboo tree that we may see the beauty of the vine.”
“It is a very fine bamboo tree, master,” said the head servant.
“Yes, it is, indeed,” declared the master, “but there are many other
bamboo trees equally fine, whereas no one has ever seen a vine with
such a wealth of lovely blossoms.”
So the labourers cut down the haughty bamboo tree, and left the
willow and the flowering vine to be admired by many, many people.