Once upon a time there was a little seed hanging from a tree. It was a small seed. When the season ended and the strong winds blew, the seed was thrown around for miles. Finally coming to rest into a farmer’s garden. The seed rested through the winter and when the warm rays of the spring sun shed itself on the seed, the seed began to grow. It was a small sapling. It felt delight in the initial rays of the sun but soon the sapling noticed that the sun was being blocked by a rather large plant. The plant had long spiny arms with large thorns. Large enough to block the sun.
Upon seeing the small sapling, the spiny sowthistle, a pestulant weed, began to worry. Knowing what this sapling was capable of becoming, he knew that he needed to stop it from growing. The sowthistle began to talk to the sapling saying that it needed to be careful of the strong rays of the sun and the torrential rains that will come soon. The sowthistle offered its protection,
“I could protect you from the damaging rays of the sun with my broad leaves. I can also protect you from the flooding of the waters by wrapping my roots around yours. That way you won’t drown from the water”.
The sapling was grateful for the protection of the sowthiste, not truly knowing the sowthistle’s intentions.
After a few days the sapling saw one of it’s four leaves had started to brown at the very tip.
“Funny” thought the sapling, I thought that’s not supposed to happen until the fall”.
“No, that’s what supposed to happen. Soon all the leaves will become like that because you are a weed and that is what happens to a weed.” said the Sowthistle.
Two weeks later, two more of it’s leaves had begun to brown and wilt.
“This is not supposed to happen. I know they are supposed to brown but the wilting…..what is that?, said the sapling.
The sowthistle responded, “No that’s natural eventually everything will wilt. It’s supposed to happen.
“But that’s not happening to you.” said the sapling.
“I am not a weed, I am in the process of growing into a tree. I will continue to grow until I’m taller the farmer’s building”
“oh, ok” said the sapling.
Not knowing anyone else within the vicinity it could not ask anyone else if this was what was supposed to happen.
Days and months passed. The sapling was not growing and could not understand why. It’s leaves had gone from a brilliant ruby red to a fading dull brown. The stalk had lost its rigidity and strength causing the little plant to droop over like a hunchbacked lady. It assumed that this was the way it was meant to be. It would not grow past anything but where it was. Meanwhile the sow thistle grew stronger and thornier. It’s roots had become embedded and enmeshed with the saplings thin roots. The sapling was convinced that it was a weed and gave up on the idea that it could be anything more.
Summer soon passed into autumn and the sowthistle was just as strong as ever but he knew his time was ending and he would need to retire for the winter. He felt satisfied that he was able to prevent his destruction by hindering the growth of the sapling. The sapling, feeling tired and drained, was also ready to retire. Its roots, the size of a strings, was not ready to handle the long winter. Tired and not wanting to go on much longer, the sapling knew that it would have to give up the fight and the dream that it would rise the next spring.
The farmer of the garden was going through the garden tilling the soil to prepare it for next year’s planting. He looked at the sowthistle. It had been the cause of his tomato and cucumber plants not thriving as it had taken all the resources from them. He had been trying to get rid of it the whole season but could not get it out for fear of getting pricked. Its roots had become too deep in the summer to remove. Since the end of the season was arriving, he knew that the roots would have become weakened. As the farmer went down to pull the sowthistle out, he noticed underneath its leaves the dull red color of a leaf. The farmer eyes went wide because he had not seen this type of sapling for years. Where had it come from and how did it get here? The farmer carefully lifted the sapling from its roots into a clay planter’s pot and gave it the mulch that he had been building for next year. He placed it in his kitchen window and gave it the sun that it so desperately needed. Not having seen the sun and having only feared it, the sapling tried to bend away from it. Having nowhere to go, the sapling slowly realized what it had been missing. The sun was no longer a cause for panic. The water that the farmer gave was not a threat but welcome as a breadth of fresh air. The plant slowly started to realize what the sowthistle had done, realizing that it had taken that which was most essential to grow.
As the weeks passed by the sapling grew and grew. Its roots had grown and anchored. It’s stalk had developed its rigid strength and was able to stand upon its own and its leave…… The leaves had multiplied and not till the plant saw its leaves did it realize what it was. The crimson leaves had developed seven fingers, each with its own ribbed edges. The plant knew it was not a weed.
When the spring season had arrived the farmer replanted the plant where it previously had been outside. He thought it would eventually create some much needed shade. Once the plant was transplanted and left to anchor, it realized who was beneath its leaves.
The sowthistle had seen the arrival of the plant. As the plant was planted, the sowthistle knew that his time had ended and he could not stop the growth of the plant. The plant had grown and could no longer be called a weed. It knew what it was and the sowthistle knew all this time. The plants roots had become too big to be enveloped and the plant had become four times the size of the thistle. It knew that it could not compete and slowly started to fade and wilt. Eventually the sowthistle wilted away. The plant stretched out its leaves and invited the warmth of the sun and the rain from the clouds. The little sapling was no longer the weed but was now a beautiful Japanese maple tree.
