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TT: Happy New Year!
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Why We Have Evergreen Trees:
Long ago, when trees were first made, the Great Spirit asked the trees to
keep watch over the earth. To see which trees were the best guardians, he
told them to watch without sleep for 7 days and nights.
The young trees were excited to be trusted with such an important task, and
easily stayed awake the first night. The second night was harder and a few
trees fell asleep. The third night was even harder, and the trees whispered
in the wind to keep each other awake.
By the seventh night, only a few trees were still awake: holly and cedar,
pine, spruce and fir. These were the bravest and most enduring trees. The
Great Spirit said "You shall have the gift of remaining green forever. You
will always be the guardians of the forest. In the seeming dead of winter,
your brother and sister creatures will find life protected in your
branches."
Ever since then, all the other trees lose their leaves and sleep all winter,
while the evergreens stand guard over the forest.
-- From Cherokee mythology, paraphrased from Karas, S.A. The Solstice
Evergreen. 1991. Aslan Publishing, Boulder Creek, CA.
Have a joyous New Year!
Tom Kimmerer
Forest Biologist
University of Kentucky
Lexington KY 40546
Ph: 606-257-1824
Fax: 606-323-1031
tkimmer@pop.uky.edu
Visit the TreeWeb at http://quercus.uky.edu
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