The Old Oak............

There was a almighty tremendous crash resounding through the forest and then silence. Nutty the squirrel sat in a tree examining his Acorn. He wondered where he could best hide it for a Winter lunch. Winter was still a way off so there was a good chance he would forget it by then and he didn't want to do that because this was an especially fine Acorn. "You just watch where ya plant that there acorn lad" Said Mr Owl from his perch a few branches up. Nutty almost fell off the limb he was perched on. He had thought himself alone. Owls rather scared him and the shock of finding one talking to him scared him even more. "What do you mean Mr Owl" Squeaked Nutty when he finally recovered. He scrambled up closer to Mr Owl so he could keep his eye on him. "Ya don't know? Ah that be from a very special tree that one.He came down in that last big storm he did, he lies over yonder" Mr Owl continued after a brief reflection "That be a Royal Oak tree my lad" he pointed over to where the huge old tree lay. "That Royal Oak had to have been hundreds of years old, probably the oldest Oak in this here forest, he were a legend". Tell me more Mr Owl said Nutty, now fascinated by the story. "Proud to the very end he was and it took a mighty storm to bring him down" said Mr Owl. "Please do tell me Mr Owl, I would really like to know" said Nutty................"bout what?" said Mr Owl, who had began to doze, not often being awake this time of the morning......"The old Oak Mr Owl, tell me about the Royal Oak tree, please I want to know it sounds very important" said Nutty. "Oooooh aye lad, very important" Mr Owl yawned,stretched himself and fluffed up his feathers before carrying on. "Yes very important he was once, and still is now because he feeds the forest floor and Mrs Deer hides her young un in his hollow." "Well now" Mr Owl continued " He was a Royal Oak because they say that once he hid a King of England in his branches. Saved his life he did. Sort of like that other, that King Charles who hid himself in an oak tree long ago. This story is much older than that though, another King entirely, he kept it secret too not like that other oak, he never bragged about it like tother one did. Anyway back in his youth that there Oak was hit by a bolt of lightening see, it hollowed out a spot inside where he burned it did. The lightening almost killed him but over time he got strong again. It left him with a secret hollow way down inside of him. It was in a place that would be hidden from the casual eye and one day when the Prince was playing in this here forest he happend to climb up this mighty Oak tree. Low and behold when he got almost to the top he found a hole large enough for him to get inside. There he found what was almost like a living cave. The Prince never forgot his special spot and had played there often while still a lad. Boys grow up though and soon he forgot all about his secret place until one day as a young man, great evil had come to this land. A wicked King was on the throne and saught to destroy this Princes of the Blood. He had to get away and ran into the forest. He remembered his special place and looked for the great Oak tree. It was still there, and for two days and two nights he hid himself in that there Oak tree. Deep down in the heart of it he was. He had nothing to do but think and reflect on his life. A wiser man would emerge from that tree and a wiser King he would be because of it. Does a body good to sit and reflect on ones life it does" Mr Owl began to doze. Nutty was besides himself with anticipation. He shouted at Mr Owl "Please don't sleep now, tell me the rest of the story" ......."story, what story" said the dozy owl now confused. "The Oak tree story" said Nutty feeling very frustrated. "Oh right" said Owl. "well then. That Oak imparted a special wisdom on the Prince, all that time to reflect you see? by the time the danger was passed he was able to climb out of the heart of that tree and down and back to the castle. In due time he became King himself, and a fine King and a wise one he was. Maybe the wisest King ever all because of that there tree lying over yonder" Mr Owl continued "So friend Squirrel, you be careful where you plant that Acorn lad. It comes from a mighty Oak, a Royal Oak the likes of which we will never see again" "He lies over yonder, go pay your respects lad. You will see the hollow where that young Prince once hid from evil. That acorn you hold fell last Fall before the storm that took him down. The last of his kind. Mrs Deer hides her son there when she had to leave him, another Prince. She rests there now of a night right in that same hollow. A fitting place for a young prince of the forest if ya ask me" "Oh yes Mr OWl, it sure is fitting. I will find a very special place to bury this acorn and I won't dig this one up again neither" said Nutty. "I will guard it so that the old Oak will also have son to follow him, I will guard it always until he becomes a mighty oak tree as well" "Thank you so much for telling me the story Mr Owl, sleep well" Mr Owl was already snoring gently his head tucked down in his chest. Nutty climbed down holding the precious acorn he hopped and skipped to where the mighty tree lay on the forest floor. He had moss growing on him now and some mushrooms clung to his side, Mrs Deer was there ready to settle down with her small Prince for the night. "Good evening" said Nutty" Just paying my respects to the mighty oak tree Mrs Deer". She smiled and yawned very wide hoping he was not going to hang around and keep her baby up. She needed her sleep. She was safe and warm in the mossy insides of the fallen tree and her little Prince already sleeping. Nutty found a place quite close by and reverently buried his acorn. He visited every day of his life. He watched as the acorn broke the surface of the earth and started to grow into a healthy saplin. He told the story to his children and his children's children. It became a family tradition to watch over that saplin that goes on to this very day deep in the heart of the forest where one day it will be a mighty oak tree. (c)jks