One Very Sad Tree

There once was a young tree in the forest surrounded by magnificent elders. Oh, true enough, there were stumps aplenty around. They were the remains of those gone before, cut by the cruel axemen. Some very old trees, huge ones, lay on the ground around her as though in slumber. They had died from natural causes and nurtured the soil she grew in. One day a family gathered around the young tree. She watched the people closely, not quite understanding their language. She concluded, by observing their actions, that they admired her. She was pleased. All of a sudden a man took a sharp axe and attacked her trunk! In minutes she lay bleeding on the ground. The poor tree blacked out. When she awakened, she found herself planted in a very painful stand, sharp screws piercing into her ankle bark. She also became aware she was dressed very gaily and beautifully in baubles, bangles and bows. She was pleased, but confused. As she looked around she saw herself as the centerpiece of a great room with high vaulted ceilings. Large glass windows revealed a vast meadow covered with snow. Beyond it she could see... her home. A crackling fire burned on the hearth. The young tree became very sad. The roof above her was made from the bones of her kin. Even worse, she could hear the cries of her brothers and sisters dying in the flames.