The Cherry Tree

George sat high in his favorite tree, the cherry tree in his backyard, near the creek. This year the blossoms fill the limbs. Snowy white blooms cover each limb to make it look like a blizzard left inches of snow on each branch. He climbed in the tree to the very top. From this perch, he could survey the neighborhood and the woods beyond, as well as the creek below.

“King of all I survey!” George yelled as he tumbled into the creek, hitting branch one, then number two, then a third on the way down. The rock in the creek slammed into his arm.

He lifted his head, shook it and looked at his arm. It was bent just a bit to the right toward his house, while his hand wandered off to the left a bit farther to the woods. It seemed just a bit strange, he thought. A squirrel chittered in agreement.

“Y…ouchhhh…..!!!! His cry filled the air. Birds flew from the cherry tree. Snowy white blossoms fell on him. George struggled to his feet, cradling his arm.

Mom heard his cry then hurried outside, to find George coming up the yard.

“George, what in world? What happened?”

“I climbed my tree. Then I fell into the creek.”

“Your arm, does it hurt?” Mom started to touch the arm, but stopped when he started howling again.

“Off we go, in the car with you.”

At the ER, George had to tell the doctor and nurses the story of how he fell from the top of the cherry tree. Soon more people came in to hear about George and the cherry tree. Each time he told the tale, the tree got taller and the rock got larger.

Eventually, the crowd left. A tech came in to repair George’s wrist.

“You do know it’s George Washington’s birthday today, “ stated the tech doing the cast on his broken wrist. “Ironic, don’t you think? You breaking your wrist on your birthday, the one you share with George Washington.”

“Huh? What do you mean?”

“Well, it’s a well known story that old George cut down a cherry tree. Then he said ‘I cannot tell a lie, I cut it down.’ So maybe your cherry tree threw you down as revenge for that act.” She wrapped George’s wrist in gauze, then casting material as she told her tale.

Mom chuckled at the thought of a tree throwing a boy to the ground, the stuff of fables.

“I did kinda feel the tree hug me as I went down,” stated George. “But I think it was trying to break my fall. I don’t think a tree can hurt someone on purpose.”

“Alrighty. All done. Now don’t go climbing any more trees, especially cherry trees on the birthday you share with George Washington.” She signed the cast.

‘In honor of George and his cherry tree - 2023’