The Tree That Said It Could Fly
A story about a lufwood tree and a leadwood tree:
The lufwood tree keeps saying, "I shall fly, I shall fly, I shall fly, if it's the last thing I do." And the leadwood tree keeps saying, "Prove it!" The lufwood flaps its branches but it does not fly. It spins its leaves but it does not fly. It jiggles its roots but still doesn't fly. Then, just as the leadwood tree is about to lose its temper with its boastful neighbour, the lufwood is struck by a bolt of lightning. It bursts into flames, and being lufwood and buoyant when on fire, it tears itself from the ground and rises up into the sky.
"I said I would fly," the lufwood calls down.
"Yes, my friend," the leadwood calls back. "You said you would fly if it was the last thing you did. And it is!"
The moral of the story is: For in success can lie destruction. and it could have a happy or sad ending, depending on how you look at it.
This was an old story Welma used to tell Maris when she was young.