Chopping Trees

The wind rustled the leaves of the trees of the forest and August watched as leaves kept on falling, one by one. ‘Momma, can I ask you a question?’ said August one day. Momma turned her branches towards August.

August, still a baby tree, looked at his Momma in interest. ‘Go on, my dear,’ said Momma tree. August smiled innocently.

‘Momma, why do humans have to be cruel?’ asked August sincerely. Momma tree looked at August in terror.

‘What do you mean, love?’ asked Momma tree in worry.

‘Why do humans have to always cut down trees? Can’t they leave us alone?’ asked August. Momma tree sniffled remembering Daddy tree.

‘August,’ she said sternly, ‘stop talking. No need for you to know about it already.’ Momma tree sounded more than stern and August bent his branches which were just beginning to grow, in disgrace.

‘But–’ August started but Momma tree cuts him off.

‘No. I told you,’ said Momma tree sternly not allowing August to talk. August sighed in sadness.

‘Momma, you can’t keep the truth away from him for long,’ came another voice. August tilts his branches and looks at his old sister tree, Kelsey. Momma tree sighed in frustration.

‘Kelsey, please–’

‘Momma, August is old enough. He has to know. It could happen any day,’ groaned Kelsey and Momma tree considered it. At last, she gave up.

‘Fine, August. Now what I am going to tell you might be a little horrifying,’ said Momma tree and August shot a smile at Kelsey.

‘Ooh! I love Momma’s storytelling!’ said Kelsey in excitement. Momma tree shot a stern look at Kelsey who looked at Momma tree innocently.

‘Long time ago, humans came up with a way to make paper,’ said Momma tree and instantly August shot a question at her.

‘Momma, what is paper?’ Momma tree looks at August.

‘Now, don’t interrupt me before I change my mind!’ August and Kelsey stayed silent. Momma tree continued, ‘paper is the material made from our wood that is used to write and draw. But not only did they want to make paper, they wanted our boughs. They used our wood to make furniture. Furniture are items that humans use a lot in their regular lives.’ August looked at Momma tree in fear.

‘So every two months, they come to the forest and they cut down two trees for their furniture and paper. And sometimes, they even cut down seven trees.’ August gasped, horrified by the thought of trees being cut.

‘Did anybody get chopped in the last few months?’ asked August and Momma tree sighed.

‘Yes,’ said Momma tree not trying to hide her sadness at all, ‘two months ago, the woodcutters came into the forest and they chopped down Granny tree and Grampi tree.’ Momma tree sniffled and August looks at Kelsey in fear.

‘Come on now,’ said Kelsey smiling, ‘don’t worry. You have us. We will all be safe together.’

‘Together,’ August repeats the word.

‘Yes, together. Now, enough storytelling!’ said Momma tree and she turns around and sniffled.

**********

The sun was just beginning to hide under the horizon. August sighed. Kelsey smiled at August. That was when August heard it. Footsteps.

‘Did you hear that?’ asked August and Kelsey’s smile vanished.

‘What?’ asked Kelsey looking around.

‘I thought I heard footsteps,’ said August innocently. Now, Kelsey looked terrified. ‘Momma! Wake up! The woodcutters! They are here!’ August gasped in shock. Momma tree snapped awake and looked at Kelsey as if she wasn’t a tree anymore.

‘What?’ asked Momma tree hoping that she had misheard Kelsey but apparently, she hadn’t.

‘The woodcutters!’ shrieked Kelsey and Momma tree gasped.

‘Everybody! Quick! Down!’ said Momma tree and all the trees did as she told. August’s heart was beating fast. Everyone was still and silent. Footsteps neared them and Momma tree just hoped that the woodcutters would pass their part of the forest.

But luck wasn’t on their side. The woodcutters emerged from the plants and stopped in front of a few trees. August’s breathing turned heavy and he didn’t dare shake even a branch.

‘Hey, Chris!’ yelled the first woodcutter. Another woodcutter whom August assumed was Chris emerged through the trees.

‘Woah, George! The trees here are lush and greener than the others!’ said Chris and August could hear his mom gasp under her breath. August was terrified. The woodcutters stepped over a few leaves and they made their way through some trees.

Chris, stopped in front of Momma tree and looked at the tree in interest. ‘Wow, George, this tree here is in amazing shape. I assume that it would be perfect for making chairs!’ said Chris. George shuffles towards Momma tree and looks at the tree.

‘Yes! The bough is so tough and it would be the perfect tree!’ said George. August stopped. He could hear Kelsey sniffle under her breath and August gasped.

No. Not Momma!

But Chris went straight to work. He raised his axe and he began chopping Momma tree, striking his axe harder with every strike. Tears slowly streaked down August’s face as he watched Momma tree being chopped down.

George walked further and stopped in front of August but he moved on since August wasn’t a grown tree yet. But he did stop in front of Kelsey who stayed still without moving.

And Kelsey, he decided was the second tree. And August watched, tears rolling down his trunk as two of his closest loved ones were chopped down by the woodcutters. Kelsey! Momma!

Hours later, the woodcutters left with Momma tree and Kelsey chopped down. August wanted to scream but he kept silent and watched the woodcutters leave. He turned his branches and looked at the place where Momma tree and Kelsey had been planted.

The place where two wise trees had once been planted, was now empty and August watched in sadness. He screamed like he had never screamed before. His branches trembled and he screamed even harder.

‘MOMMA! KELSEY! COME BACK!’ But it was of no use. They were gone. He let his sadness out. Sobbing in sorrow. And then he said something that should have been heard by every single human being in planet Earth.

‘C…chopping t…trees have to stop!’