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The Tree
There was a world where animals and birds lived in peace. Some birds spent a lot of their time on the ground looking for food to eat and water to drink. The animals on the ground didn’t have any trouble with the birds being on the ground with them because they understood the situation, they also needed air to breath and the wind to keep them cool.
In this lovely world there was a big tree where the Wise Jaguar lived and also where many birds liked to perch. Nevertheless, the jaguar who lived in the tree told the birds that it was fine that they did but they should be careful with the branches because they could break and hurt someone. The jaguar and the flying animals had a big discussion about this, he warned them that the branches were not so strong and that too many birds would eventually break them. Birds were certain they wouldn’t and kept on taking the sun on that tree.
“Then, you will have to accept the consequences when that day comes” the jaguar told them.
The days passed and the jaguar was living happily in his tree while the birds kept perching on it.
One day, a flock of birds migrating from a faraway land perched on that tree. The birds that lived in that jungle had not yet awoken, they were still asleep in their nests. It was very early; the sun was still rising when the birds from afar decided to take the tree where the Wise Jaguar lived as a resting spot.
When the local birds woke up they made their usual journey to the Wise Jaguar’s tree, but encountered their usual branches occupied by the migrating birds. “Maybe we should perch on another tree today”, said the Thoughtful Bird but the others wouldn’t listen. They were certain this was the opportunity to demonstrate that the tree branches wouldn’t break, even with double the weight.
The rattling of branches woke up the Wise Jaguar, just in time for him to watch a branch from way up high break and fall. The branch could not resist the weight of all the birds on it and broke. To the sorrow and surprise of the jungle, the branch had fallen on top of the Wise Jaguar, and had killed him.
The family of the Wise Jaguar was angry, they banned the birds from the ground or any tree for what they had done.
As time passed by, the birds kept dying from durst and hunger as the jaguars frightened them away from the land. God wasn’t happy, he told the jaguars to stop their unacceptable behavior but they didn’t obey his orders.
“If you don’t want them to live then none of you will” said God.
And he kept his word. He destroyed all the trees, plants and animals that were living in this beautiful world, and when he finished, there was nothing left but the wind calling out for both ground animals and flying animals.
