7 October 2012
An old master Gardner was tasked to clear and landscape the garden of an ancient Shoalin monastery.
His only instruction was to not cut down the thorn tree...
As the baking sun beat down he offloaded the tools of his craft and began hacking, pruning and cutting, sawing and ripping all the overgrown bushes. And as the pile of redundant plants, shrubs and trees grew he looked at the thorn tree.
"do not touch the thorn tree" the caretakers voice rattled in his mind.
"O yes" he agreed with his instructions.
The Gardner laid down beautiful black fresh soil rich in nutrients and began planting new shrubs, plants and flowers as his sweat poured and dirt smeared over his hands and face He kept looking at the thorn tree.
The more beautiful the garden became the uglier the thorn bush appeared.
But still the gardner adhered to his instructions.
Hours past and the beautiful garden evolved, almost complete thriving in the rich soil and sunshine the fantastic colours complimented each other. Pulling in humming birds, butterflies and creatures of all manner of life. The Gardner noticed that none of the creatures went near the thorn tree all but the spiders that colonised the twigs with their amazing symmetrical webs.
Just as his phone rings his assistant a young strong man comes over to clear the waste.
"Are we finished yet Gardner" he asked.
"almost, we need to clear the rubbish then we can go" the Gardner replied.
"ok I'll finish up, you take your call" the young man replied"
The Gardner walked away chatting on his phone.
The young man tidied all the waste away brushing and clearing every cut leaf and blade of grass.
As he stood back and looked and the wondrous garden, his eyes pulled to the thorn tree... It's dark thick, twisted blackened branches ladened with long razor sharp thorns, housing abundant Erie spiders "Sillly old fool forgot the thorn tree" he chuckled to himself. And as he attacked the bush he found it hard and strong, it cut his hands and scratched his face and the more angry he became the more he buried him self amongst the thorns cutting, ripping and tearing at the thorn tree until blood dripped from his head, face, hands and forearms.
After pulling away the last of the Thorne tree he stood back in amazement as it revealed the most beautiful tree sapling he'd ever seen.
The Gardner returned and see the state of the young man and the demise of the thorn tree.
"what have you done he screamed"
"wait -look" the young man replied pointing to the beautiful tree
"wow that beautiful tree had been shadowed and by the disgusting Thorne tree" the Gardner said to the young man.
And as they stood and watched in awe of the most beautiful garden they had ever created
A voice whispered from over their shoulders
"No... The thorn tree had become harsh to the elements to protect the frail and beautiful, but ancient tree, which holds in its sap the cure to any illness. We have protected that tree for thousands of years and in the thorn tree lays the deadliest poison known to man"
The young man falls to his knees in pain as the poison courses through his veins and he watches as all the slugs, caterpillars and creatures swarm the beautiful tree, devouring its ripeness and draining it of life he feels his life drain...
The Gadner cradles the young man and pleads with the monk "please you must save him"
The monk replies " if I save him the tree must die as there is not enough sap to save them both"
The young man replies " it is my fault this has happened - let the tree live so others can live too"
As the monk brushed the insects from the tree and gathers the sap He walks over to the young man, pours some of the sap into the young mans mouth and smears the rest over his wounds he says
"lucky for you we have another garden"
Morals to the story:
Don't keep all your fucking special trees in one garden
Listen to the wise instructions of those with the wisdom of the world
All that appears harsh, ugly and twisted maybe protecting something wondrous and beautiful at its core.
And don't cut down the fucking thorn tree unless you are prepared to accept the consequences.
The deception of the thorn tree • Opuss № I