Tree Legends
THE PERSIMMON TREE

Raccoon up the 'simmon tree
Possum on the ground
Raccoon shake them 'simmons down
Possum pass 'em round


-- African-American poem circa 1870, author unknown





THE FLAME TREE

The very beautiful daughter of a chief tells her father that she will marry only Tutu, the peasant boy because she loves him. Soon after, war is declared upon her village and the chief sends Tutu with his warriors to prove his worthiness. During the fighting, Tutu is killed by a sling-shot.

After hearing no news on the situation of her lover, the maiden sends a hawk to see if Tutu is safe. The hawk finds Tutu dead on the shore of a lake and waits, hovering, to see where he is buried. In the interval, the maiden grows concerned and sends the bumble bees and butterflies to find him but they do not return. Finally, she goes to find him herself, riding a sunbeam to the shore. When she sees that her lover is dead, she asks the sun to have pity upon her and strike her with a hot flame. The sun obliges her. When the warriors find her on their return to the village, they dig a grave for her next to that of Tutu.

The next year , the tribesmen visit the graves and find that out of the two graves, a beautiful tree has grown with large flame colored blossoms which ever turn upwards to the sun. The tribesmen collect seeds from this tree and disperse them to many gardens.

-- Traditional tale from Ganda,
East African Cattle Area



ZACHARIAS AND THE SYCAMORE TREE

Christ was on his way to Damascus. He was riding upon an ass. And the peoples around was all crowding to see Christ. Zacharias was a low statured man, nearly like a dwarf, so he goes up a sycamore tree (he could climb pretty good), so he could get a good view of Christ when he come along. No one seen him go up there. When Christ got along under the tree he looked up. Zacharias didn't know Christ knew his name or that he was up the tree-- he'd never met him. But Christ told him "Come down Zacharias; your too high. I'm going home with you and have dinner." And Zacharias come down in such a haste he skinned all the bark offa the tree. Now that's the reason a sycamore ain't got any hard bark like any other tree. It's just as slick as it can be.

-- As told by JD Suggs, March 1952
Calvin county, Michigan



DAPHNE D'LAUREL

After successfully slaying Python, the terror of the people, Apollo encounters the boy Cupid playing with his bows and arrows. Elated over his recent victory, he taunts Cupid, telling him that a boy's hands are not worthy of these weapons. For this, Cupid shoots two arrows; one to excite love, through the heart of Apollo and one to repel it into the beautiful mountain nymph Daphne. Forthwith the god was seized with love for the maiden and she abhorred the thought of loving. She instead followed the path of the chaste goddess Artemis, shunning all male companionship in devoting herself exclusively to the hunt. Apollo longed to obtain her. He followed her and tried to woo her but she would hesitate not even one moment at his entreaties and fled swifter than the wind. Apollo grew impatient with these failed attempts of winning her affection and pursued Daphne with increased vigor and speed as a hound pursues a hare. So flew the god, on the wings of love with jaws open, ready to seize while she darted forward on the wings of fear, slipping on his very grasp. As her strength began to fail, and ready to sink, she called upon her father, the river god: "Help me Peneus! Open the earth to enclose me or change my form, which has brought me into this danger!" Scarcely had she spoken when a stiffness seized all of her limbs; her bosom began to be enclosed in tender bark; her hair became leaves; her arms became branches; her foot stuck fast in the ground, as a root; her face became a tree-top, retaining nothing of its former self but its beauty. Apollo stood amazed and lavished kisses upon the wood. "since you cannot be my wife," said he, "you shall assuredly be my tree. I will wear you as my crown and as eternal youth is mine, you shall always be green and your leaf know no decay". The nymph, now changed into a laurel tree, bowed its head in grateful acknowledgment.

-- Ancient Greek Myth



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