TALKING TREES!

- Deepika Sriram

Once upon a time, during the tree years, (like earth years and light years, you had 'tree' years) the trees in this world were gifted with the power of speech and motion! And so, they discussed politics, sports and ofcourse, their favourite topic - human beings, (just like you and I do over the telephone or the internet!)

So also, in the vast empire of Tree Queen Renuka, the trees chatted, but in their own exclusive dialect 'Treelish', a language which humans could never understand. However, they could speak fluent English (and loved reading and learning from Gokulam's 'Word Power'!)

Reverting back to our Storyline, Queen Renuka was one of the most hated rulers of the Tree kingdom – obnoxious, self-centred mean and cruel!

On New Year's day. When all rulers announce their new policies and manifestos, Queen Renuka ordered that a new winter palace be built for her. To make place for it, many of the trees in her kingdom would be chopped down. She herself would inaugurate the 'tree cutting programme' by chopping off the biggest mango tree in her garden!

News spread like wild fire amongst the trees. They were all deeply hurt and distressed. That night none of the trees slept! The lone mango tree outside the queen's bedroom, which was to be the first victim, was sobbing.

But the queen herself, was getting a new hairdo for the next day's inaugural function! The poor royal hairdresser was having a different problem. He simply had no clue as to how to fulfil the Queen's new whim! Oh c'mon! How can you possibly have a haircut in the shape of a tree canopy, just to mark next day's event?! However, rising up to the challenge, he made the final plunge into her hair and lo and behold! The queen got her new look - a bald pate!! The queen looked silly and outright hilarious! The poor hairdresser didn't quite know whether to cry or laugh, but the mango tree, who sat awake and wondering, knew exactly what to do!

The next day dawned bright. Everybody assembled in the Queen's garden to wait for her to inaugurate the ceremony. The queen who had managed to somehow cover her baldness, was now ready with the axe!

But the moment she raised it, the mango tree began to recite in a clear, loud monotone - "The queen is bald! The queen is bald! The queen is bald!"

Slowly every tree, plant, creeper, bush and shrub in the Queen's garden and then, the whole kingdom joined the chorus. Soon, the entire kingdom reverberated with the chant and of course, nonstop laughter. The very thought of having a silly 'bald' queen made them roll on their sides laughing! The Queen's face was red hot with embarrassment! Unable to put up with the humiliation anymore, she disappeared into the depths of the forest! So, the trees were saved and the subjects had a new and wiser ruler who loved his people and the talking trees too!

(Even today, the trees speak to each other in Treelish, but sometimes when their own existence is threatened they speak out, like they did in English... and when they do, oh Boy! They do have a lot to say!)