The Meeting of the Plants

The Meeting of the Plants

They say that long, long ago, plants were not as quiet as they are today.

Trees could talk to one another across an entire valley. Bushes argued about the weather. Grasses whispered the news. And if a plant needed to go somewhere, it could pull its roots from the earth and slowly make its way down the road.

The strongest of all the trees was said to be old Molave. He grew high on a mountain, had a sturdy trunk, and such a broad crown that dozens of travelers could shelter beneath it from the rain.

One morning, Molave sent a message throughout the forests and fields:

“Let the trees, palms, bushes, and grasses gather in the great clearing. We must talk about water, wind, and how to protect the earth during the dry season.”

The news traveled from leaf to leaf.

“A great meeting!” rustled the banana trees.

“We must set out!” murmured the bamboo.

“I’ll be the first to arrive!” bragged a young acacia.

Soon, every road to the mountain turned green.

The mango tree walked slowly so it would not lose its fruit. The bamboo moved in a group, knocking its stalks together at every turn: tap-tap-tap. Little bushes hurried so eagerly that sometimes their branches got tangled.

Even the vines found a way to get there: they wrapped around neighboring trees and traveled along with them.

By evening, the great clearing was full of plants.

Molave looked around.

“Is Mango here?”

“Here!”

“Bamboo?”

“Here!”

“Banana?”

“Here for ages!”

“Buri palm?”

No one answered.

Buri palm lived far away. She was tall, broad, and very unhurried. When she heard about the meeting, she thought:

“The mountain is far. I’ll set out tomorrow.”

The next morning, the sun felt so pleasant that the palm decided to warm her leaves for a little longer.

“It’s all right. The others won’t arrive right away either.”

On the third day, she finally pulled her roots from the earth and started on her way.

But on the way, she stopped beside a stream.

“What lovely water!” she said. “I’ll rest for an hour.”

The hour turned into half a day.

Meanwhile, the meeting had begun long ago.

The plants decided where to leave more shade for young shoots, how not to exhaust the soil, and who would warn the others when strong winds were coming.

Molave looked down the path several times.

“Where is Buri?”

“Perhaps something happened?” Mango worried.

“I saw her yesterday,” said Bamboo. “She simply wasn’t in a hurry.”

Another day passed.

Then one more.

When the meeting was nearly over, tall Buri palm finally appeared on the path.

“Wait! I’m here!” she called from a distance.

The plants turned around.

Molave asked, “Why are you so late? We’ve been waiting for days.”

Buri felt embarrassed.

“At first, I didn’t feel like setting out. Then I rested by the stream for a long time. I thought the meeting would not begin without me.”

Molave shook his branches.

“Everyone in the forest matters, but no one matters more than everyone else. When you promise to come, others count on you.”

Buri lowered her leaves.

“I understand.”

Then, according to the old legend, Molave spoke a magic rule:

“From now on, your life will remind everyone that there is a right time for every thing. You will grow for many years, gathering strength and lifting your leaves high toward the sun. And when one day you give the world seeds for a new generation, your own long journey will come to an end, making way for young plants.”

And they say that ever since then, Buri palm has grown for a very long time, gathering strength for a great flowering and for its seeds. When its seeds are ready to continue the life of the palms, the old tree gradually passes on, leaving room for new shoots.

No one knows whether it truly happened just that way.

Plants stopped walking along roads and speaking in human voices long ago. Now they stand in their places and pass along the news with a rustle of leaves.

But when the wind moves through their crowns, sometimes you can hear:

“Everything in its own time… Everything in its own time…”

And perhaps it is old Molave still reminding the forest: if someone is waiting for you, do not put off the journey until tomorrow.

May this story leave a little light in your heart ✨