The Pining Tree

     Out in the yard stood a nice pine tree.  He had a good place, the sun  could get at him, there was fresh air enough, and round him were the animals of the forest and in the summer, the children.  He was carried to that place long ago, in the pocketbook of a woman who with her young son had visited the very first Earth Day at a local shopping center, and in honor of the occasion had been presented with the Pine Tree and his brother.   The two young trees were no more than six or seven inches tall, and spindly, not even the thickness of a pencil.  They were soon put in the ground by the woman and the boy, but, sadly, they were separated.  Pine Tree was planted by the deck of a pool, while his brother was planted way across the yard, near a storage shed.  Unfortunately, due to their shortness of stature, they were not able to see each other, as the distance separating them was too great, and their view was obstructed by obstacles, both natural and manmade. So Pine Tree was unhappy.
     "Rejoice in us," said the Air and the Sunlight, " rejoice in thy fresh youth out here in the open air."  But Pine Tree still grieved, "Oh, to grow, to grow, to become big and old, and be tall, that I might be able to see across the field, and once again delight in seeing my brother."
      The year after he had shot up a good deal, and the year after he was still taller. It is said that with  pine trees you can always tell by the shoots how many years old they are.   And as the years passed, on one fine spring day, Pine Tree was elated to find that he could see his longed for brother.  His brother had grown tall also, though not as tall as Pine Tree, maybe because of location.  But they were very pleased to be able to finally see each other across the yard.  So Pine Tree thought he had attained his wish, that he had experienced with his growth the most delightful of all worldly things.   
        But his happiness was not to last.  One summer day, the clouds opened, a terrible wind arose, and the sky turned a deadly shade of green. All the trees around him blew completely sideways.  Pine Tree was somewhat sheltered, and not quite as tall as he thought he was, so after the dreadful storm, which they called a tornado, Pine Tree was able to right himself and look around at the devastation.  His neighboring trees, many of them, were flattened, never to stand upright again.  He forced himself to look across the yard, toward his brother, and his vision fixed  on a horrible sight:  not only was his brother pine completely uprooted, the shed which in the best of worlds could have protected him, had totally blown apart and collapsed on top of the poor brother pine's remains.  All was lost for Pine Tree. 
    He well knew he could never see his brother again, and he was filled with sadness once more.  But time passed and he continued to grow    ----to be continued