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Thirsty Tree

Dennis Robleski

    Among the fish inhabitants of Little Lake was one largemouth bass named Peres who ruled them all. He wasn’t the biggest fish, or the handsomest, but he was considered by all to be the strongest and the smartest. How he achieved this distinction was unclear since most of the fish in Little Lake were born after Peres rose to power, but no one questioned it. Peres greatly enjoyed his position in society, as he was given the prized portion of the lake in which to live, the shade of Thirsty Tree, where food was abundant. Living there also allowed Peres to avoid the dangerous temptation of the wriggling worms which sometimes appeared in other parts of the lake, suspended on invisible threads.
    Each year, upon the return of the water-bugs, Peres offered to give up his position to any fish that could pass the Test of the Tree. It was a simple test which required but one thing Ð the challenger must scale Thirsty Tree, pull a leaf from one of its branches and return it to Peres.
    The story of Thirsty Tree was known to all the fish in Little Lake. Barely older than a sapling at the time, Thirsty Tree tired of waiting for rain to fall from the sky to quench its immense thirst, so it pulled its roots from the dry ground and leapt into Little Lake, sinking until only its uppermost branches broke the surface of the water. Over time, its roots dug deep into the muddy bottom and the sun, earth and water permitted Thirsty Tree to grow to immense size, towering over the northernmost corner of Little Lake.
    Over the years, many had attempted the Test of the Tree. Most believed it a test of strength and tried to rapidly swim up from the lake bottom and propel themselves through the air high enough to grab a leaf. Others believed it a test of endurance, the ability to hold their breath long enough to scale the trunk of the tree to the first branch. Some saw it a test of intelligence and tried stacking twigs and rocks high enough so they could ride on a frog’s back to reach a branch. In the end, all failed and Peres’ rule endured. Peres mocked their efforts loudly, reminding all the fish of their inferiority to him.
    With the return of the water-bugs this year, Peres moved into the center of Little Lake, assembled all the fish, and called for challengers: “All those foolish enough to believe they can unseat me, approach and be humbled!” Whereas in past years many had stepped forward and attempted, they now remained still and quiet. They accepted what Peres told them, that they were neither as smart nor as strong as him.
    One small bluegill named Ellie approached Peres and asked, “Can you climb Thirsty Tree?” The other fish looked at each other and then to Peres, who was silent for a moment. When he spoke, he said: “Would I be your ruler if I were not capable of great feats?”
    The other fish saw the great logic in this and slowly nodded their agreement. Ellie, however, asked a second question: “What great feats have you performed?”
    Peres looked to the right of Ellie at the other fish and said “You are young, little bluegill. You do not know of the world and all that preceded you.”
    Once again, the other fish nodded in agreement, this time more vigorously. Ellie, though, had another question for Peres: “Are the feats you performed greater than the Test of the Tree?”
    Peres asked, “What did you say?” as he looked to the left of the little bluegill.
    Ellie asked again “The feats you performed before I was born Ð were they more challenging than the Test of the Tree?”
    Peres then locked his eyes with Elie’s and held the stare for several seconds “Yes. Yes they were. Much harder.”
    The other fish didn’t nod this time, instead keeping their focus on Peres. One of them asked, “What exactly were these feats?”
    Peres now swam back and forth rapidly, his eyes narrowed and his words came as a hiss, “Never have you had a leader who has done what I’ve done. Nobody is stronger than me. Nobody is better than me. Instead of making you defeat me in a real challenge, which would never happen, I created the test to —”
    “To make the other fish feel inferior by giving them a task none could ever accomplish, including you,” said Thirsty Tree. “I’ve watched you, Peres, grow more and more arrogant in your rule these last five years, but I can no longer stand by silently.” The fish were frozen in place by the sound of the booming voice, for Thirsty Tree had never before spoken.
    He continued “The Great One never intended fish to leave the water. He designed you to thrive in it, and to leave the land and the air to other animals. You, Peres, built a test which has no bearing on the measure of a fish.”
    The fish stood in awe of Thirsty Tree, closing their eyes and bowing their heads in deference, but he answered “You do not owe me your worship. Among my kind, I am no greater or lesser than any other. We trees are all different but no difference elevates us into a place above another. The same is true for you.”
    Peres had not spoken since Thirsty Tree began, but now said “You are wrong! Otherwise, how did I attain my authority? It is recognized by all and therefore it is valid! Besides, what does a tree know of our world? You don’t swim to breathe, or hunt for food, or share your space with thousands of your kind. We are different than you,” said Peres.
    “Yes, you are different than me, but you, Peres, are the same as all the other fish. If this is not true, prove it. Scale my trunk and remove one of my leaves. Pass the test you created.”
    One of the fish called out, “Show him, Peres! Show him!”
    Peres refused, saying, “I do not need to prove myself to any of you, fish or tree!”
    Thirsty Tree’s words hung like muddy water while Peres held his ground, unmoving. Silence and doubt coursed through all the fish of Little Lake, until Ellie spoke again, “Peres, does this mean you can’t complete the Test of the Tree, because if you can’t, I don’t understand why we should have to?”
    Several of the other fish around Elie started slowly nodding and the agreement spread until Peres saw a thousand united faces. Unaccustomed to this behavior, Peres scanned left and right looking for supporters, but found none. He face flushed and he shook with anger. At that moment, a fiercely wriggling worm appeared on his right side, hidden by his body from the other fish. He absentmindedly snapped his mouth on it and instantly knew the mistake he had made. He quickly opened his mouth to release it, but felt a sting and a sharp tug pulled him toward the surface. He desperately flapped his tail side to side to resist but in an instant, he shot upward and out of the water.
    It happened so fast, all the other fish thought Peres had changed his mind and decided to show them he could meet the Test of the Tree by leaping high out of the water to one of Thirsty Tree’s branches. They waited for hours for him to splash back into the water, but he never returned. Eventually they realized he was gone.
    Peres’ disappearance remained a mystery to the fish, but the wise words of Thirsty Tree made them realize that no feat or test or boast should elevate one above another. Ellie was elected as their new leader and she served the fish with compassion and humility. Thirsty Tree returned to his silent magnificence.

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