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The Buckwheat
A short story
VERY
often, after a violent thunder-storm, a field of buckwheat
appears blackened and singed, as if a flame of fire had
passed over it. The country people say that this appearance
is caused by lightning; but I will tell you what the sparrow
says, and the sparrow heard it from an old willow-tree
which grew near a field of buckwheat, and is there still.
It is a large venerable tree, though a little crippled
by age. The trunk has been split, and out of the crevice
grass and brambles grow. The tree bends forward slightly,
and the branches hang quite down to the ground just like
green hair. Corn grows in the surrounding fields, not only
rye and barley, but oats, pretty oats that, when ripe,
look like a number of little golden canary-birds sitting
on a bough. The corn has a smiling look and the heaviest
and richest ears bend their heads low as if in pious humility.
Once there was also a field of buckwheat, and this field
was exactly opposite to old willow-tree. The buckwheat
did not bend like the other grain, but erected its head
proudly and stiffly on the stem. "I am as valuable as any
other corn," said
he, "and I am much handsomer; my flowers are as beautiful
as the bloom of the apple blossom, and it is a pleasure to
look at us. Do you know of anything prettier than we are,
you old willow-tree?"
And the willow-tree nodded his head, as if he would say, "Indeed
I do."
But the buckwheat spread itself out with pride, and said, "Stupid
tree; he is so old that grass grows out of his body."
There arose a very terrible storm. All the field-flowers folded
their leaves together, or bowed their little heads, while the
storm passed over them, but the buckwheat stood erect in its
pride. "Bend your head as we do," said the flowers.
"I have no occasion to do so," replied the buckwheat.
"Bend your head as we do," cried the ears of corn; "the angel
of the storm is coming; his wings spread from the sky above
to the earth beneath. He will strike you down before you can
cry for mercy."
"But I will not bend my head," said the buckwheat.
"Close your flowers and bend your leaves," said the old willow-tree. "Do
not look at the lightning when the cloud bursts; even men cannot
do that. In a flash of lightning heaven opens, and we can look
in; but the sight will strike even human beings blind. What
then must happen to us, who only grow out of the earth, and
are so inferior to them, if we venture to do so?"
"Inferior, indeed!" said the buckwheat. "Now I intend to have
a peep into heaven." Proudly and boldly he looked up, while
the lightning flashed across the sky as if the whole world
were in flames.
When the dreadful storm had passed, the flowers and the corn
raised their drooping heads in the pure still air, refreshed
by the rain, but the buckwheat lay like a weed in the field,
burnt to blackness by the lightning. The branches of the old
willow-tree rustled in the wind, and large water-drops fell
from his green leaves as if the old willow were weeping. Then
the sparrows asked why he was weeping, when all around him
seemed so cheerful. "See," they said, how the sun shines, and
the clouds float in the blue sky. Do you not smell the sweet
perfume from flower and bush? Wherefore do you weep, old willow-tree?" Then
the willow told them of the haughty pride of the buckwheat,
and of the punishment which followed in consequence.
This is the story told me by the sparrows one evening when
I begged them to relate some tale to me.
THE END