Feathers, The Giant Oak

Stacey and Molly are best friends. They play together almost everyday after school. First, they eat two bags of fruit snacks each and drink a tall glass of chocolate milk.

Then, they run down the road to a big park with lots of fun things to play on: slides, seesaw, monkey bars, and even a balance beam!

But, there is one particular structure that is easily the favorite. A huge oak tree, Stacey and Molly named Feathers. (Because sometimes in the wind, his moss looks like feathers)

Today after school was a very important day. The girls were finally going to climb Feathers.

“It's just that when I get up close, it looks so high and so hard.” Said Stacey

“It's not hard, I’ve seen all the other kids do it” said Molly. Molly was not afraid of much. She had made up her mind that today was the day and nothing would stop her. Well, almost nothing.

The girls stood there looking up at Feathers thick branches moving with the breeze. Molly tied her shoes tight and began her climb, one limb at a time. She put one foot on the lowest branch and used her arms to pull herself up. Everything looked ok until she got about halfway.

“I can’t find another branch I can reach. That one is too far and this one is too high.”

Stacey was nervous. She stood there on the ground shaking in her pink jelly shoes. She was trying not to watch but actually kept watching.

“I’m going to try to get the high one! Here goes nothing!” In an instant she stretched and just about the same time the wind came soaring through.

Molly only had one leg touching the tree and Feathers was shaking her off. It was as if he was upset with her and did not want her company anymore.

She lost her grip and with a scream, fell to the ground with a thump. “Ahhhhhhhhhhhh!” She cried.

The wind ceased and Molly began to cry. “I think I hurt my arm. Will you help me home?”
“Yea, are you ok?” Stacey closed her eyes for the actual fall but was very scared for her friend.
Through her tears, Molly smirked, “I’m guess so, but I HATE that tree!”

As the girls walked away Stacey took a glance at Feathers, who seemed to be looking back at her! He had two spots that looked just like eyes and he was shaking his branches they way her mom shakes her head.

The next day, Stacey went back to see Feathers. Unsure of what she was to find, she sat down under his shade and waited. Now Stacey was used to having Molly with her in the park so naturally she began talking to herself.

"I sure am glad Molly is OK and I'm glad that I didn't climb yesterday." She said to herself.

Just then, one of Feather's branches seemed to swoop down and wrap itself almost all the way around her!
"Now, just because Molly fell down doesn't mean you can't climb." She heard a deep voice say. Normally Stacey would have been scared out of her wits. But something inside her seemed calm and the voice calmer.

"Is that you talking Feathers?" She asked feeling very foolish for thinking so.

"Why, yes it is Stacey. I’m glad you came to see me today."
"Wow! You can talk?"
"Well, today I am talking to you. May I tell you something?" Feathers' branch tickled Stacey's leg and she began to feel like she was sitting in the lap of her great grandfather.
"Yes you can tell me something."
"Molly was trying to climb higher than she should. I don’t like when kids do that."
"What do you mean? Did you make her fall?"
“No, no. I was simply moving with the wind. She fell because her legs were too short to reach. You see, Stacey, as you grow your legs will grow and you will be able to do more things like climb trees or run faster. But when you are still growing you can't always make it to the top."
"Oh I see. So, if I climb until I can't reach and then I stop, would that be ok?"
"Yes of course! I am here for you to enjoy. Just like you are doing right now, sitting in my shade on a sunny day. You can climb to a safe spot and relax."

Stacey tucked in her shirt and checked to make sure her jelly shoes were on tight. She took a deep breath and began her climb. One step at a time she made progress.
She got to the third big branch and took a look around. "Its beautiful up here!" she thought to herself.

Stacey gazed at the many limbs growing up towards the sky. She reached her arm up to touch the next one and just grazed it with her fingertips.

She put her two feet against the trunk and spread out across the branch out into the open air. "I think I will stay right here on this branch."

The branch curled around her perfectly so she wasn’t afraid at all. "At least for now..." she said with a smile on her face.