Palm Fronds

One day, the palm fronds learned to fly.

It took a little while for people to notice; the green leaves, whirling about in the air. Once they did, some panicked. Other took pictures, or called the police. And one toddler climbed on and asked, "Please, Mr. Tree, would you take me for a ride?"

And it did! While the parents watched below, aghast, and the older siblings watched, envious, the toddler flew through the air, clutching to the palm fronds. After several minutes, it landed, and the toddler climbed off, giggling with glee while its parents scolded it.

Soon, the palm fronds were the most popular thing around. Children and adults too rode on them, while newspapers wrote stories about them and scientists rushed to begin research on them. Everyone was happy! It was dubbed the "Marvel of the Year."

Then winter fell. The palm fronds, meant for warmer climes, drooped. They spun slower and slower when they took off from their trees to fly. Then, one day, it grew cold enough that they just plain stopped.

No-one was hurt, but many people were angry. They pointed and shouted, saying, "Stupid palm fronds, you could have hurt someone! Now get back up there, do what we tell you to!" And the palm fronds, cold, weak, crawled slowly back to their trees.

Soon, the furor died down. The media went back to chasing celebrities, the children went back to their bicycles and electric video-games. Even the scientists went back to their labs - they wanted to continue study of the palms, but their grants all dried up! So the palm fronds went back into place, in the dreadful cold.

Seasons turned. Winter to spring, spring to summer. And one toddler - braver than most - walked up to a palm. "I'm sorry," the toddler told the palm. "Please, Mr. Tree, could you take me for a ride?"

And so it is that, even to this day, if a child asks a palm nicely enough, the palm will take him for a ride through the sky. They won't do it when an adult is watching - oh no, they remember all too well for that - and they won't do it in winter. And they certainly won't do it for a rude child! But if you're nice enough, and ask at the right time - why, anything might happen.