The Tree Knight

Deep in the mountains there lived an old woman. She lived alone because her husband had died, and her children had grown up, married and started their own families. They had invited her to come live with them, but the old woman liked the peace and quiet she had in her cottage surrounded by beautiful woodlands. She was not lonely there, since she often met other people. Every day she would cook something to eat and walk over the hill to the village, where her children and friends worked.

On the hill between her cottage and the village, there grew an old, withered tree. There were just a few green leaves and twigs on it, the rest of the tree was dry and brown. Since the old woman’s legs were no longer as strong as they once had been, every time she walked up the hill, she would stop under this tree to sit and rest. Out of gratitude for the shade it offered her from the afternoon sun, she always brought the tree a little water from a nearby stream.

“Thank you, tree, for your service and I wish you many green leaves and songbirds in your crown,” she would always say, before continuing on her way.

One day, the old woman was sitting under the tree to rest when some men emerged from the forest. Before she knew it, they had already surrounded her.

“Hey, old lady, give me everything you’ve got!” one of them shouted.

“Oh no, bandits,” the old woman whispered in fear.

“Ha ha, that’s right, we’re bandits. So hand over everything you’ve got, and fast, if you value your life.”

“I don’t have much, only the food I’m taking to my children,” said the frightened old woman, her voice trembling.

…