THE TEMPLE TREE

A golden tree provides countless lessons in this fable.

In Snow’s tale, a golden tree stands majestically. It is not only a beautiful tree, it also possesses unique and magical abilities. The tree can communicate with some villagers, and it has consciousness. It is well loved and appreciated by all the villagers, especially Buddavahni, who spends hours sitting under the branches, etching poetry on his tablets. The tree also has three fruits, each one different but equally gorgeous. And all is well with the tree and the village until a great mystery occurs that has never been seen before; one of the fruits turns dark. And it isn’t long before the fruit falls from the tree. The villagers are concerned, and most assume the worst about this change. “It must be dying” is the consensus. Even the confidence of the tree itself is shaken. After the fruit falls from the tree, the concern escalates, and the village turns to Buddavahni to advise on the next steps. And so Buddavahni takes the fruit away, and time eventually reveals that what seemed to be a catastrophic event isn’t the end of the world after all. Snow’s fable is full of morals and lessons. The author’s musings on how best to handle worrying or the importance of listening as a path to understanding feel particularly timely. But the story drags in the middle when the villagers are fixated over the fallen fruit, and the prologue and epilogue are largely unnecessary. Even the characters, except for the golden tree, are rather forgettable; but perhaps that is the point. The fable preaches that bad things might happen. Uncertainty, change, and even death are part of life. But life does go on.

A gentle fable that emphasizes hope in the face of uncertainty and loss.