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Previous Challenge Entry (Level 1 – Beginner)
Topic: Vines (11/21/05)

TITLE: The Egotistical Elm
By Debbie Sickler
11/27/05


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The Egotistical Elm


Today is my birthday. I am now eighty-three years old and in my prime. I’ve always been beautiful, but I seem to grow better and better everyday. My parents were strong and majestic, so naturally I am too. When neighbors walk by, I can feel their eyes staring in amazement at my height and beauty.

My foliage is so gorgeous that other trees daily bow and bend their branches in reverent awe. Squirrels and chipmunks often fight for the privilege of living amongst my boughs. Birds sing my praises morning, noon, and night. My branches spread out across the yard, providing plenty of shade for my owner. It’s no wonder I’m his favorite. Ah, here he comes now…



Wow, that little ivy my owner planted is really taking off! It’s only been a few weeks and it’s half way up my trunk. Look at those little heart shaped leaves! And its whites blended with greens, perfectly compliment my own lovely leaves. I’m going to look fantastic once it grows a little more.

That poor willow two doors down is already weeping over my beauty. And that spruce across the street is green with envy; so sad his owner only planted that pathetic little ring of pansies for him. Who’s really going to stop and notice them?

Absolutely everyone will love my new adornment though! Those vines are really starting to enhance my already gorgeous appearance. To top it off, my branches are reaching higher than ever! Soon I’ll be hearing angels singing along with my little feathered fans!



My new owners really seem to love tending to all of us out here. With my awesome fall colors and these boughs completely dripping with gorgeous vines, I’m sure to win his favor, just like with my last owner. Hmmm…I wonder what he’s going to do with that thing. It’s awfully noisy!

What’s going on? What is he doing to my precious vines? No! Stop that! I’ll look so plain! Wait a minute, that wasn’t a vine; that was my branch! Stop it! There won’t be anything left of me! Nooooo!


“Here honey, thought you could use a break! You’ve been out here for hours.” Sharon handed Will a tall glass of sweet iced tea. He accepted it with a smile as he wiped the back of his sweaty neck with a hanky.

“Thanks. So whatcha think? Looks a lot different out here now, huh?”

“Doesn’t even seem like the same yard. It’ll definitely take some getting used to.”

“Yeah, but come look at this.” Stepping over piles of tree limbs and ivy, the young couple made their way over to the stump sticking out of the ground.

“The ivy started growing inside the trunk. It was actually killing the tree from the inside out.” Will pointed to a rather large root that was literally splitting the tree trunk into thirds. “With as long and heavy as all those vines were getting, I’m sure the branches couldn’t handle the strain much longer anyway.”

“Yeah, guess you’re right. It’s too bad though. I bet that tree used to be beautiful before the vines took over. When you get the new tree in, I was thinking of planting something colorful and eye catching at the base. What do you think of pansies?”


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This article has been read 884 times
Member Comments
Member Date
Jan Ackerson 11/30/05
There was much to like here, especially the clear message, presented in a non-"preachy" manner. The POV shift at the end was a little confusing at first; maybe italics would have alerted your reader. Delightful concept!
Nina Phillips11/30/05
Boy, was that loud and clear! A little on the humorous side but then again, sometimes egotistical types are really jokers. (LOL) Really good take on the story. God bless ya, littlelight
Anita Neuman12/01/05
I'm glad you decided to hint - this was a really fun read! I loved the pansies line at the end, and I always appreciate a good pun (weeping willow and green with envy - ha ha!) Great job!
Amy Michelle Wiley 12/01/05
Haha! That was fun! Good job and good point without being overbearing.
Laurie Glass12/01/05
This is so cute. I'm glad you hinted. I wouldn't have wanted to miss this one.
Pat Guy 12/01/05
This was great! I was hoping the tree was just going to learn its lesson by being taken down a notch or two - caught me by surprise it was dying and being replaced. Very creative take!
Janice Stotz12/01/05
That was a joy to read, put a smile on my face! Very clever use of language, and great surprise ending!
Garnet Miller 12/01/05
Very interesting way to illustrate the topic! I liked it:)
Cassie Memmer12/02/05
Pride goeth before a fall, huh? Interesting take. I did feel sorry for the grand old elm. :o) But pruning is what he needed! Good job!
Val Clark12/02/05
Poor elm. it wasn't his fault the owners planted an ivy. Oh, It's a story! Right. Loved the beginning point of view. Didn't expect it to die - sucked me right in. Good message and well written.
terri tiffany12/02/05
I felt so sad for the Elm! Good job..I'll look at a tree differently now:)
Julianne Jones12/03/05
An enjoyable read and well written (never thought my attention could be held by a story about a tree!). Good job.
Sandra Petersen 12/04/05
But I like "pathetic little rings of pansies!" Great lesson about having too high of an opinion of self. With that enormous of an ego, how would the elm give any thought to the vine, or was the elm just "using" the vine to keep the focus on self. So many things to ponder in this selection! I'm glad the Lord doesn't turn us over to a "new owner" except maybe by our choosing to turn our backs on Him and reject Him. Very creative idea.
Dan Louise Mann12/05/05
Congratulations on your "highly commendable" win this week. Kudos to you!
Suzanne R12/06/05
I love it ... loved the unique point of view and the sense of humour you show. I hope you can do something similar for the 'trees' theme!


   
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