The people asked the trees plenty of questions. Why are you here? Where did you come from? How is it that you buried your roots in the sand? The trees remained quiet for some time. Then they spoke. We are here because we want to be, they said. We are here because we can be. This isn’t just a free country. To us, it's a free world, because we belong to the world, and the world belongs to us. We are nature, and nature is the world. You people should be grateful that we're sharing it with you.
The people thought about what the trees had said, and they felt embarrassed and ashamed. You're right, they said, and left the trees alone. The beachgoers eventually adjusted to the trees' presence and even began to enjoy having them around. Then one day, someone noticed that the trees had moved just a little bit from their original spot - a foot closer to the ocean. Then the next day, another foot. This happened every day until the trees were just in front of where the high tide reached.
What's going to happen to you? the people asked. We don't know, replied the trees. We just love the water, and the water loves us. It's been calling to us since we got here.
Finally, the trees stood tall on the wet part of the sand. The people watched in silence as the waves came crashing towards them. They stood firm for a few minutes, but the sand was too weak to support their roots, and the waves knocked them over and the ocean sucked them in. They made a gurgling noise, and one lady said she heard them saying, "Goodbye! Goodbye!"
Some people cried, others remained silent. The next day, they went on with their lives as if nothing had changed.
Issue 44, June 8th, 2009