The Taking Tree By Idith Arussy: Chapter Summary Essay

The Taking Tree
Idith Arussy Once upon a time, far away in an unknown land, there was a small village. The people there were not so merry, but satisfied. Each family owned a profession. They work very hard and still manage to enjoy life. The Nicolson family worked in a coal mine. Their youngest, John, had a stutter. The villagers didn’t mind it much, but John did. He was shy and had trouble talking to his beloved, Ms. Bianka, the weavers’ youngest. Even being the prettiest of her sisters, Ms. Bianka was also in a bind; she was crippled at a young age. Till this day no one knows why?!
They first came to know each other, when Ms. Bianka was asked by his father to weave a quilt for his dying wife. Since then, while she was quilting the fairest
He kept on running, searching for the reddest tree in the forest. It was nowhere to be found. He ran and ran and as he grown weary, he slowed his pace, but not giving up, he walked for a few hours more. After a whole day’s search, there it was, the reddest of them all, the red talking tree.

“What can I do for you, my son?” Said the tree. “mmm…mmmy…st..stutter old tree, tttt...ake it away, dearest tree…” Stuttered young Nicolson. “As you wish young sir.” And his stutter was gone. In a blink of an eye, his wish was granted.
He rushed back to the village to share his news with his crippled wife. She was so pleased upon hearing such news that she sat awake all night, finally listening to her husband speaks. Unfortunately, realizing that he is as dumb as a shoe.
Soon enough the whole village came upon young Nicolson’s news and he became the village’s laugh. Poor Ms. Bianka was the saddest of them all. She had to listen to his dumb words all day and all night.
She could not hear one more word of his nonsense. She set her mind. She would find the tree and beg him to take away her crippled legs, then she would be able to run away of her dull husband. She would not be in need of him
She rode and rode… hours have passed… and finally, she saw it, the reddest of them all.
“Oh reddest tree..! Oh dearest tree..! Take away my crippled legs.. Let me feel the earth..” begged Mrs. Bianka. “As you wish young weaver, as you wish.” And there she stood, her feet were touching the ground. She thanked him and jumped again upon the horse’s back, out of the forest and into the wild, as long as she is not to hear of her husband’s stupidity again.
Lunch time came and John, that is now able, calls out for his wife “Bianka! Dear wife!” but no answer follows. He called her again “Mrs.! Dearest!” and no answer follows. She was gone. Night time came and still no word from his Mrs. She was gone for good. And poor John just kept on talking… all on his own… with no one who’ll listen. "If my beloved Bianka had stayed we would have been happy" thought John to himself.
As for our dearest Bianka, she kept wandering the land, alone, with no one to walk beside her. And thought to herself "I wouldn't have been alone if I hadn't realized his