If you haven't read the traditional folktale The Tale of Three Trees, I highly recommend it. It is especially appropriate for this time of year. Folktales intrigue me not only for their age old stories but for the information that can be gleaned regarding their creators. I am most amazed that these stories have survived since before the age of the written word. Oral tradition it is called - seems like a lost art, but I really don't think it is. We all have a little storyteller in us.
I think back to my grandmother who told me stories not from books but from her memory. I absolutely loved it. The most memorable was the now controversial, "Little Black Sambo." I'm often reminded of her telling me the story when I'm spreading yummy butter on a stack of pancakes! I have shared the same story with my little one pictured above. Sharing it with her and hearing her say, "Tell me another one!" put a smile on my face - oral tradition, passing stories from generation to generation by word of mouth.
This week I accomplished triple tree perfection in my yard. My three favorite trees are the Cherry Blossom, the Dogwood, and the graceful Weeping Willow. When we moved into our forty year old house, the yard already had two of these wonderful trees. This week, I added a tall, lanky, young Weeping Willow. Of course, it doesn't compare to the one pictured above but maybe one day. As I was digging the hole for my new tree, I thought about my three children and maybe one day sitting in the shade of a my much bigger and older Weeping Willow with my children's children. I will tell them a story about their mom or their dad or maybe even Little Black Sambo. Oral tradition...
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