Chip, the Tree With a Heart

                                   

CHIP, THE TREE WITH A HEART

Darts of lightening created dazzling zigzag patterns across the black sky.   The howling winds bent stately woodland trees almost to the breaking point.  To escape the fierce storm, animals found shelter wherever they could find it. 

A half mile beyond the New England main road, one very old oak tree struggled mightily to return to his upright position after each gust of wind.  As it happened, Chip stood strong against the wind.  A flaming lightening bolt is what struck him down.

That isn’t the end of the story though, only the beginning.

A week to the day, a sixth grade science class searching for possible medicinal plants, happened to pass by horizontal lying Chip.  Because they were busy using their cell phones to record and photograph each find, they took no notice of him.   Then a sudden loud yell echoed through the trees.  Class klutz, Bennie, injured his leg when he accidently stepped into a rabbit hole.  Through no fault of his own, likable Bennie seemed to find himself in a pickle wherever he went.  Their teacher, Miss Heddington, examined the leg and decided that a splint would be needed to get him home.  But, where to find one?  One of the girls cried out, “Look!  A branch from this fallen tree would be perfect,” Using the students’ sneaker laces, Miss Heddington tied the branch, which happened to be the perfect length, to Bennie’s leg, and he hobbled home with his arms wrapped around the necks of two classmates.
 
And Chip  in his heart, smiled.

Ylsa, the German Shepherd lost her way home.  She had taken off after a chipmunk into the woods behind her home,    It was a long twisted chase through the woods.  She knew she was in trouble when she stopped the chase and looked around.  Where am I?  A sudden rain storm wiped out any traces of her prints and scent.  Which way was home?  Ylsa was lost and sad.  She lay next to a damaged  tree - Chip.  Her cries were breaking his heart.   She crawled beneath the cover of the Chip umbrella, and waited out the storm.  When it ended, she checked her surroundings.  Nothing seemed familiar to her.   She  came close to giving up when her ears perked up - she heard something.  From far off, Ylsa heard her worried owner’s calls and  excitedly raced in that direction..

And Chip in his heart, smiled.

Kate and her husband Benjamin walked hand in hand toward the woods off the edge of the road..  Their conversation centered around the heat to their home being  turned off.  That morning they had placed the last log in their fireplace..  Ben's job as a telephone repairman had been eliminated and  they had three small children to somehow keep warm.  Their only option would be to search for firewood.   They searched over an hour, but nothing was right.  The branches they found were either bug infested, wet, or too small.  Tired, they sat on the trunk of a large downed tree - Chip..  Benjamin glanced around him and said,  “Look Kate this tree we are sitting on is perfect.  Its branches will keep us warm for the remainder of the winter.”  They went to work with their saw and ax.  Eventually Benjamin said, “We have what we can carry now, Kate.  Tomorrow we can return for more.” 

And Chip in his heart, smiled.

Eventually nothing remained of Chip, except for his huge trunk.  But that happened to be where his heart lay.  He knew that someday that would be gone too, but he did have a good long life.
As he pondered these things, a squirrel came running by.  He raced around Chip, then suddenly found what he was looking for.  He picked up the acorn in his mouth, dug a deep hole and dropped it in.  He had hidden so many, by the end of the day he would forget all about that one.

That forgotten acorn would grow to be a tall beautiful leafy oak tree just like his dad, Chip - the tree with a heart.

And Chip in his heart smiled.
.