Fruit of Peace | Teen Ink

Fruit of Peace

October 5, 2008
By Shaddie SILVER, Mattawan, Michigan
Shaddie SILVER, Mattawan, Michigan
8 articles 1 photo 4 comments

Long before there were people gods roamed the world as the people of the earth now do. One such god was Nightingale, born with half of her face much darker than the other. As the years passed Nightingale fell in love and became pregnant, but the child was not to be; it died before it could ever be born. After two years passed Nightingale became pregnant again, and this time with twins.

When the twins were born it was soon understood that the twins were as different as night and day. Realizing this, Nightingale named her twins Babbling Brook and Raging River. Babbling Brook wore the white feathers of the majestic eagle through his hair. Each feather he had found upon the ground. Raging River paraded around with the black feathers of turkeys in his hair. Each feather came from a turkey that he had killed during his many hunts. The twins never seemed to agree on anything, and they were fighting through each day and night. Raging River always believed that he was right, and would challenge his brother at every chance he got. Babbling Brook would take on each of his brother’s challenges as they were thrown at him, not caring whether he won or lost. Each day Raging River would find something that he believed he was better at than his brother, and each day he would challenge Babbling Brook planning to prove himself better. This was never accomplished.

One day Raging River challenged his brother to a swimming race across the large pond that was a little ways from their home. Babbling Brook accepted his brother’s challenge and followed him to the pond. Each man waded into the water waist deep, and then began the lengthy swim across the pond. Babbling Brook swam slowly and gracefully across the large body of water while his Raging River swam at a much faster pace with a lot less grace. Every animal in attendance to this occasion agreed that Raging River looked more like he was drowning than swimming. In the end the race ended up in a tie. Discouraged, Raging River stormed home tripping over rocks and fallen branches. Babbling Brook slowly followed behind his brother careful not to fall. When the two brothers arrived home they found their mother to be very ill. Old age was wearing away at her body, and she had little time to live. Though the twins had never agreed on anything in their life, they finally agreed on one thing; they both loved their mother very much, and didn't want to see her die. The boys decided they'd preserve their mother inside a tree so that everyone after them would be able to enjoy her eternal beauty. As their mother was breathing her last breathes they used their powers to turn her into a tree. Her feet grew roots that shot into the ground, and her arms stretched upward to the sky growing crooked branches as they did so. Her soft skin turned to rough bark that was almost black in color. Proud of their work the brothers watched over the tree. They watered it every day, and made sure no kid would climb in it.

Since the tree was made of the twins mother it was no ordinary tree, but no one realized this until spring came the next year. When the days of April came the brothers were overjoyed to see their mother's tree covered in white blossoms. The flowers stayed until the days of June came, and then they drifted away in the wind. Both Raging River and Babbling Brook were both saddened to see the dainty petals floating away through the wind. Since their mother had died the tree had kept them occupied, and they hadn't fought as much as they had used to. Their mother's tree had finally brought them to be at peace with one other. As the days of autumn came bringing cold air and leaving many leaves of the surrounding trees a range of golds and reds, the tree of Nightingale started bearing round fruits. Each fruit was counted as a blessing to the twins, and they taught everyone to cherish each one. The brothers' mother has stood in the same place since before any man has walked the earth, and she stands there still today bearing fruits for man as she did the gods. Then known as “Mother Tree,” and now known simply as “The Apple Tree.”



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