There was a time when all trees and plants on Earth could walk, run, and even jump. They loved being on the move, except when it rained. They didn’t enjoy walking around in muck at all, and liked to stay in one place for the whole season. Every year, the green beings got into many fights with each other over a favourite spot to spend the monsoon in. Mahogany, who was the oldest and the wisest among them, often ended up as the peacemaker in these fights.
“There, there now… You two, stop arguing. Don’t be a bad seed,” the wise old mahogany tree scolded two young plants who were squabbling over a good spot.
“But I got here first,” an orchid seedling said.
“So what? I chose this spot last week!” a slightly older Burmese grape plant argued.
The mahogany tree said sternly, “Stop it, I say! Neither of you will stay here for the monsoon. Orchid, you go to the vacant spot in the east. Burmese grape, you go to the one in the west.”
The orchid and the Burmese grape frowned, but obeyed the mahogany and moved to their newly allotted spots. Just then, the mahogany heard a familiar voice call out to her… “Ms Mahogany, how are you?”
The wise old tree turned to find her dear human friend standing behind her. “Elhet! What a pleasant surprise! How have you been?”
“I’m fine. I need your help,” Elhet said. “The rains will be here any moment. Could you please come and stand guard near our house…protect it from the harsh showers, like you did last year?”
“Sure, let’s go right away. Cannot trust the rains these days,” the mahogany said, marching ahead, lifting and dragging her stiff joints.
The other trees in her path moved a little to the front, and some to the back, to make way for her. A large coconut crab scuttled quickly, to avoid being squished by the mahogany’s sturdy legs. A macaque screeched and leapt from tree to tree, to escape being thwacked by the mahogany’s strong arm-like branches.
It was a long walk to Elhet’s house. When she reached there, the mahogany was happy to see her friends, the flame tree and the coconut tree, also getting ready to protect the man’s family. Since the time they could remember, humans had taken the help of trees to shelter themselves from the fury of rain. The three trees decided who should stand where, so that Elhet’s house was covered well from all sides.
Not just the three of them, but all other trees in the region did their best for their dear human friends. Some offered their fruit if they saw the humans had nothing to eat. Some kept wild animals away at night, by smacking them away with their branches. Some swayed in the breeze, fanning the houses, to keep insects and flies at bay. The trees and the humans shared a great bond.
Hardly a few hours had passed, when a heavy downpour began.
“My family and I can’t thank you all enough,” Elhet said aloud, from inside his house.
“We’ll always be there for you. After all, trees and humans are best friends forever!” the mahogany said. The other two nodded, shaking off all the water from their boughs and leaves.
On very rainy days, the mahogany stood tilted for hours, so that not much water would enter Elhet’s home through the gaps in the roof. And on days when the rain took some rest and sent the sun out, the mahogany stood straight and sturdy, giving shade to Elhet’s son who played around her trunk.
Elhet’s son was extremely fond of trees, and he lovingly called the old tree “Grandma Mahogany.”
One morning, Elhet woke up earlier than usual. “Ms Mahogany, could you and the other trees please take us to the neighbouring island today? We have to collect some goods and supplies for the rest of the season,” he said.
“Oh?” The mahogany looked worried. The other two trees didn’t say a word. They waited for their wise leader to speak up.
“Why can’t we head to the forests on this island?” the mahogany asked.
“We won’t find the herbs and fruits we need here,” Elhet explained.
“Well, it’s going to be a rather long and cumbersome journey. I can see thick dark clouds in the distance,” the mahogany said, peering as far as her eyes could see. “Also, the trees have been protecting your home day and night. I think they are a little tired.”
“I get it,” Elhet said, looking a little miffed. “Just because you are older and bigger than us, you want us to listen to you. And just because we are turning to you trees in difficult times for help, you feel you can take all our decisions for us.”
“Oh, no, no, Elhet. That’s not true!” the mahogany cried.
Elhet’s son, who had been cooped up at home for days, asked in a small voice, “Will it be very difficult for all of you, Grandma Mahogany?”
As the mahogany looked at his hopeful eyes, her heart melted. Sighing aloud, she said to the boy, “No, love. It won’t be very difficult. Hop on!” As the tree bent down to allow the thrilled family to climb onto her branches, the other two trees exchanged anxious glances.
“This doesn’t look good,” the flame tree, whose flowers had grown a little paler in worry, whispered to the coconut tree.
“The mahogany has agreed. We don’t have a choice,” the coconut tree said, slouching in disappointment. And so, they set out on the arduous journey.
In the beginning, the trip seemed pleasant. Elhet’s wife hummed melodious tunes. However, by noon, it had become extremely hot. The trees were parched, but they didn’t stop. Elhet kept instructing them, “Faster…walk faster, please!”
In another hour or so, after crossing a deep channel, the trees reached the smaller neighbouring island. The three trees were almost out of breath by then. They slumped down, as Elhet’s family got off and disappeared into the island’s thick forests.
“Why did you agree, Ms Mahogany?” the flame tree asked.
“Yes, you shouldn’t have. Forget about us, but you are not as young and sprightly as you were before,” the coconut tree pointed out.
The mahogany was still trying to catch her breath. A few moments later, she replied, “Blame it on my love for humans, especially their children!”
“But your well-being must come first,” a bael tree, who had watched them come into the island, said.
“It’s all right! We’ve made it halfway. The return shouldn’t be so bad,” the mahogany remarked. But she had no idea of what was yet to come.
Elhet and his family emerged hours later, carrying nearly half the island’s bounties! Or so it seemed. Seeing how much of the forest’s produce the family had gathered, the bael tree protested, “Hey, leave something behind for our island!”
“How greedy can you be?” Elhet’s wife said rudely. “You have so much in your island already. You must learn to share.” The bael tree fell silent.
Elhet began propping up bundles of firewood on the coconut tree. Unable to bear the weight, the tree began to stoop. “Oh, no! It’s too much for him to hold,” Elhet’s son pointed out, but his parents just weren’t bothered.
The flame tree was made to carry a whole bunch of strong medicinal plants and other herbs, all of which began irritating her bark. Their smell was overpowering too. “ACHHOO! ACHHHOOO!” she sneezed with force, losing many of her flowers and leaves.
“Are you okay?” Elhet’s son asked the flame tree, but his mother interrupted, “Oh, she’s perfectly fine. Just climb onto the mahogany now. It’s getting dark.”
Excerpted with permission from ‘Best Friends Forever: A Nicobarese Tale’ in Once Upon a Beginning: Incredible Origin Stories from India, Nalini Ramachandran, Hachette India.
