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“You differ from the majority,”
said the leaves to a newly formed bud.
“The uniformity of the tree is green, as we all are,” said the leaves. “You can’t go on and disrupt our unity. The nature of the tree is green and we would like it to remain that way. You are differentiating from the norm.“ The leaves carried on menacing the bud until it burst into a flower.
“What is this?” said the leaves. “Not only are you persisting in differentiating yourself from us, but now you also differ in smell and seem to boast about it. We can’t have you remaining on this tree as you don't fit in with the majority. Unlike you, we are odourless, green leaves. We're sorry, but you'll have to leave.””
So the flower fell to the ground and from the same bud from which it grew now sprouted a peculiar formation. It was in fact green, but not a leaf at all. It was a fruit.
The leaves were furious. “What is this?” they said. “Yes, you are green, but at least the flower had petals which resembled us a little. You, fruit, are nothing like us! This is outrageous! Completely disrupting our conformity!””
The leaves were all united in wanting the fruit to leave, but the fruit was more stubborn than the flower. It, in turn, changed its colour to another, manifesting its opinion.
With time the leaves became accustomed to the fruit being there, until one day the fruit too dropped to the earth, leaving the tree to revert back to its original, all green state.
The leaves, now content, became tired, turning yellow, then brown. They withered and fell.
A generation comes and a generation goes, but it was the seed in the fruit that kept the tree living, as from it
sprouted yet another green tree.
edited by Janet Cartlidge, copyright © 2013 Fabrice Schomberg
