Addam loved to climb
trees. He was an adventurous little boy
with eyes the color of a clear blue sky in June and smile as crooked as a
putter. He was known far and wide as The
Tree Climber, for his abilities attracted the attention of all the neighborhood
kids. Whenever Addam finished his daily
chores, he’d venture out into his dad’s vast farmlands in search of a great
climbing tree. Once he was satisfied,
he’d start ascending the tree until the branches could no longer support his
weight. There, perched comfortably on a
branch, he’d survey the land stretched out before him. It was during these moments when his child’s
imagination would carry him into worlds full of flying beasts with wings the
color of blue flame, elaborate castles growing out of the tops of trees and
sprouting turret-shaped blossoms, giants the size of mountains sitting with
large spoons and eating the clouds as if they were mashed potatoes, and a city of
his own creation made up of tree houses that exist only in dreams.
One day, as Addam went searching for a new tree, he
turned down an unfamiliar path. After a
few minutes of crushing leaves and branches under his boots, he made it to the
base of a tree. He leaned his head back
to look up at the massive structure and his heart started racing. The tree was gigantic! It must be two thousand feet tall, he
thought. Without a second thought, he
started to climb. The ascent was
easy. It was as though the tree were
designed specifically for him; for the branches were spaced close enough for
his little boy arms and legs to reach.
When he could climb no farther, he straddled a branch and looked
down. The distance made his head swim
and he clung onto the base of the tree to prevent himself from falling. He was too high up! He tried to climb down to the branch below
him, but his body was shaking too much.
He stayed in that tree all afternoon.
He was just about to doze off when he heard his dad calling his
name. He looked down to find his dad at
the base of the tree, the size of an ant, holding a ladder. His dad looked at him, then at the remarkably
small ladder, then at the tree again, and then he turned and walked away. A few minutes later he returned with a longer
ladder, a look of disbelief on his face, and carried his son out of the tree
and into the warmth of their modest farm house.
Addam the Tree Climber met his match that day but vowed next time to
bring the ladder.
Here is an in-process painting.
