THE WONDER TREE
BY FRIEDRICH ADOLPH KRUMMACHER (ADAPTED)
One day in the springtime, Prince Solomon was
sitting under the palm trees in the royal gardens,
when he saw the Prophet Nathan walking near.
``Nathan,'' said the Prince, ``I would see a
wonder.''
The Prophet smiled. ``I had the same desire
in the days of my youth,'' he replied.
``And was it fulfilled?'' asked Solomon.
``A Man of God came to me,'' said Nathan,
``having a pomegranate seed in his hand.
`Behold,' he said, `what will become of this.' Then
he made a hole in the ground, and planted the
seed, and covered it over. When he withdrew his
hand the clods of earth opened, and I saw two
small leaves coming forth. But scarcely had I
beheld them, when they joined together and became
a small stem wrapped in bark; and the stem grew
before my eyes,--and it grew thicker and higher
and became covered with branches.
``I marveled, but the Man of God motioned me
to be silent. `Behold,' said he, `new creations
begin.'
``Then he took water in the palm of his hand,
and sprinkled the branches three times, and, lo!
the branches were covered with green leaves, so
that a cool shade spread above us, and the air
was fined with perfume.
`` `From whence come this perfume and this
shade?' cried I.
`` `Dost thou not see,' he answered, `these
crimson flowers bursting from among the leaves, and
hanging in clusters?'
``I was about to speak, but a gentle breeze
moved the leaves, scattering the petals of the
flowers around us. Scarcely had the falling flowers
reached the ground when I saw ruddy pomegranates
hanging beneath the leaves of the tree,
like almonds on Aaron's rod. Then the Man of
God left me, and I was lost in amazement.''
``Where is he, this Man of God?'' asked Prince
Solomon eagerly. ``What is his name? Is he
still alive?''
``Son of David,'' answered Nathan, ``I have
spoken to thee of a vision.''
When the Prince heard this he was grieved to
the heart. ``How couldst thou deceive me thus?''
he asked.
But the Prophet replied: ``Behold in thy father's
gardens thou mayest daily see the unfolding
of wonder trees. Doth not this same miracle happen
to the fig, the date, and the pomegranate?
They spring from the earth, they put out branches
and leaves, they flower, they fruit,--not in a
moment, perhaps, but in months and years,--
but canst thou tell the difference betwixt a
minute, a month, or a year in the eyes of Him with
whom one day is as a thousand years, and a
thousand years as one day?''
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