Reading Notes: Eastern Stories and Legends A

The Spirit that Lived in a Tree

The Tree

• Buddha was incarnated as a tree
• This tree was worshipped by everyone around
• The king of the region chose this tree to the sole tree on which to build his palace 
• The king ordered the tree to be cut down, and the townspeople were very upset by this but were afraid to disobey the king
• The townspeople and woodmen made a great display of worship to the tree and prayed to it, informing it of what would happen and why, and begged for mercy
• The Tree was terrified for its tree children who surrounded it, because they would surely die if he were cut down
• Taking a physical form, the Tree spirit went to the king while he slept and asked to be spared
• The king refused because he wanted to have the grandest palace
• The Tree then asked the king to cut him down slowly, piece by piece 
• The king knew this would be more painful, and asked why the Tree would want to die this way
• The Tree informed the king that if he died slowly and carefully, his children would not be crushed and killed
• Moved by his love for his tree children, the king agreed not to cut down the Tree
• Story Idea: write an epilogue where the king, with the Tree's permission, builds a grand tree-house palace and they live in harmony for generations

Source: Eastern Stories and Legends by Mary L. Shedlock