Project Description

The coconut and the wind

Published: October 11, 2015

Once upon a time, there was a coconut.

This coconut lived high in a tall tree on top of an even taller hill.

The locals greatly admired this tree at the center of their tiny island and regularly sung its praises when walking near its roots.

The coconut felt great pride in his position among the palms.

Months passed and the coconut watched life on the island unfold around his mighty tree.

Squirrels, lizards, birds, rabbits, and more visited in turn, but none ever stayed long.

The coconut admired how these creatures wandered the island untethered. He often fantasized about loosing himself from his tree and rolling through the tall grasses that coated the hill beneath him.

Such thoughts excited the coconut but also frightened him.

The tree was safe. It was all the coconut had ever known, and thoughts of change, of uncertainty, sent shivers through his shell.

One summer morning, the wind began to dance over the great waters nearest the sunrise. Even from a great distance away, the coconut could hear the wind’s laughter.

The coconut loved watching the wind. Her movements were fearless and hypnotic. She had traveled far and seen many things the coconut longed to see for himself. Things the coconut couldn’t even imagine.

As the day wore on, the wind’s dance became fiercer, and with each hour, she moved closer to the tall tree on the taller hill at the center of the tiny island.

By sunset, the wind had reached the coconut’s tree and swayed its branches in her dance. The coconut hugged his tree tightly, but he was no match for the wind.

With a soft snap, the coconut started falling toward the tall grasses he so often fantasized about. To the coconut’s surprise, the fall didn’t frighten him.

The wind saw the coconut flying toward the ground and moved her dance to the grass to cushion his fall.

Upon landing, the coconut began to roll down the great hill he had spent so many months atop.

Laughing, the wind raced after him.

As the coconut picked up speed, he heard an unfamiliar sound–his own laughter. He liked the sound of it.

The wind and the coconut made it to the bottom of the great hill and immediately started across the small field at its base. What lay ahead neither the wind nor the coconut knew, but they moved eagerly toward it together, adventure in both their hearts.

–End 1–

Thanks for being my wind N.

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Image credit: Thomas Lefebvre