The Tree

​There was this ancient and tall tree in a forest on the outskirts of the city.

It was very well known:

Stories and myths had been told of it’s planting.

Schools used it as their mascot and shops referred to it in their names.

Scientists studied it religiously by collecting various types of data.

And it had a day set aside solely for its celebration once a year.

A traveler walking on the road leading to the town spotted the top of the 300 foot tree from miles away.

When they got into town, they headed straight towards it and began to climb.

First, a couple of kids walking by took a passing interest and went on, but they did not fail to tell their friends, who in turn told other friends…

...this game of telephone eventually reached the whole town and the situation was soon made a spectacle.

All of this went unnoticed to the climber who was only concerned with finding the next tree branch.

It took the whole day for them to climb up and the whole night for them to climb down, but when they reached the floor just after dawn, they were accosted by a garrison of reporters and television cameras; who only had one question to ask:

“Why did you climb the tree?”

“For exercise.”