Two Trees

[Bruin Fisher]

If you like Rudyard Kipling you are going to love this:

Two Trees

An utterly beautiful, haunting story so different from almost anything else I've read in years that it took my breath away. You have to read it, I suggest in a quiet, peaceful place where you can lose yourself in its calm.

I love this story, maybe Simon could write a series in the same style, and publish it with the name 'Just So Stories'. Oh no, that's already been done.

[The Pecman]

Jesus, that was a fine story! Very, very much in keeping with the great Kipling. Beautiful job.

My thanks to Simon for writing it! My only suggestion for a change would be that perhaps, in the aftermath of the dead young tree, there might be some seedlings that survive. Perhaps the older tree could give Litu the chimp instruction on how to plant the seeds, and then we'd have a story than ends on an optimistic note.

[Cole Parker]

I'm not sure optimism is the point of the story.

C

[DesDownunder]

I'm not sure optimism is the point of the story.

C

SPOILER ALERT:

To understand the optimism and the pessimism in this story, it is necessary to find this paradox in the phrase, "they all end." This is not the easiest of tasks. Life has meaning, happiness and sadness, in that 'all things must pass' and Simon has found an original way of pointing to this.

Two Trees is an outstanding story, beautifully written and would grace any site with its presence.

I Understand and agree with the references to Kipling, which others have made, but the story also reminds me of the writing of Herman Hesse.

[Bruin Fisher]

I love Kipling -- I've had a lot of practice and I'm proud to say I can Kipple with the best of them. :smile:

[Merkin]

Two Trees is astonishing, lovely, and heartfelt. It is a great gift to us from Simon.

While it might be fair to compare this work to Kipling's writing, I would never compare Simon Jimenez to Rudyard Kipling. Kipling the poet and story-teller is one thing. Kipling the social activist and father is another matter. Remember what he did to his son Jack.

James

[Spaz-tic]

I have never enjoyed an ending as much as I had in this one. Such a strong message behind this story, I just loved it! Definitely keeping an eye out for more of Simon's work.

[Steven Adamson]

Wow, I always enjoy stories I think of as 'new mythology' and this is a premier example of the idea. Fresh but classic. It makes me want to hear fleshed out versions of the story of the moon and the four ants.

[Chris James]

How delightful, reads just like an African tribal folk tale. Storytelling like this should always be something we remember as authors because in the simplicity of the spoken word we learn to share ideas that change lives.

I agree with Cole, this is not written to convey optimism, just the very ancient concept that life is unpredictable. Timeless wisdom, something we tend to forget.

[Rutabaga]

What a unique and many-layered story this is. A worthy Pick from the Past.

R

[Jeff Ellis]

A beautiful and unusual story.

Is it too late to edit Pecman's comment to remove the spoiler?