Companionable Books

There was once an Eastern prince who was much enamoured of the art of gardening. Hewished that all flowers delightful to the eye, and all fruits pleasant to the taste and good forfood, should grow in his dominion, and that in growing the flowers should become morefair, the fruits more savoury and nourishing. With this thought in his mind and this desirein his heart, he found his way to the Ancient One, the Worker of Wonders who dwells in asecret place, and made known his request."For the care of your gardens and your orchards," said the Ancient One, "I can do nothing, since that charge has been given to you and to your people. Nor will I send blossomingplants and fruiting trees of every kind to make your kingdom rich and beautiful as bymagic, lest the honour of labour should be diminished, and the slow reward of patiencedespised, and even the living gifts bestowed upon you without toil should wither and dieaway. But this will I do: a single tree shall be brought to you from a far country by thehands of my servants, and you shall plant it in the midst of your land. In the body of thattree is the sap of life that was from the beginning; the leaves of it are full of healing; itsflowers never fail, and its fruitage is the joy of every season. The roots of the tree shall godown to the springs of deep waters; and wherever its pollen is drifted by the wind or borneby the bees, the gardens shall put on new beauty; and wherever its seed is carried by thefowls of the air, the orchards shall yield a richer harvest. But the tree itself you shall guardand cherish and keep as I give it you, neither cutting anything away from it, nor graftinganything upon it; for the life of the tree is in all the branches, and the other trees shall beglad because of it."As the Ancient One had spoken, so it came to pass. The land of that prince had greatrenown of fine flowers and delicious fruits, ever unfolding in new colours and sweeterflavours the life that was shed among them by the tree of trees