The Tale of Three Trees: A Traditional Folktale (folklore)

The Tale of Three Trees: A Traditional Folktale

Retold by: Angela Elwell Hunt

Illustrated by: Tim Joake

This story, another of my top favorites, is about three trees a top a mountain, who all want different things in life. One wants to hold treasure, the other wants to be a great big ship that carried Kings, and the last wants to stay on the mountain where he can point to God, so that when people looked at him they would think of God. One day a woodcutter came and chopped all three down, but none would get their wish, the first was made into a feedbox, the next into a fishing boat, and the last into beams of lumber. One day the first tree had a baby placed into the hay that he held, he got his wish, he was holding the greatest treaure of all. Years down the road the second tree was out on the water and during a ferocious storm a man stood and calmed the skies and sea. He got his wish, he was carrying the King of Kings. The last tree was heartbroken when a man was nailed to him, but then he realized that every time people thought of that tree they would think of God.

This story is folklore, because of its format or the telling of the story. It uses transformation as its theme, since all three tress changed from trees, to nothing, to God's beautiful work. The convention used, as fitting to the trilogy aspect of the story, is the number three (Lee, 2010). The illustrations in this book are very dark muted hues, probably to add to the emotional aspect of the book. The tones set the mood for the reader. The media and technique uses, I believe, watercolor and paintbrushes. The mood is similar to the one depicted in Maurice Sendak's Where the Wild Things Are. The illustrations uses  impressionaictic artwork. They create an impression af reality, but are not literal like representational art (Lee, 2010).

Activities, obviously not intended for Public school maybe for Sunday School teaching, could include a writing assignment that asks the question "What is something that you wished for, but did not get, and then eventually God gave you something better?" This can be used as a writing assignment of a class discussion. The book also gives an idea to make a newspaper as a writing assignment (Lee, 2010). Have the kids pick one of the three stories (of the three trees), and write about that trees day, either the day they were cut down or met God.

The first time I ever heard this book I cried, and went to the nearest Christian book store and bought it. It is such a beautiful telling of three important days in the life of our Saviour, from the perspective of the trees that would have been used in each of those days. I think it uses emotion to capture it's audience, and between the illustratuions, the story line, and the signifigance of the story it is one of my favorites.

Resources

Hunt, Angela Elwell. (1989). The Tale of the Three Trees: Aa Traditional Folktale. David C. Cook.

Lee Galda, B. E.Cullinan, L. Sipe. (2010). Literature and the Child. 7th Ed. Belmont: Wadworth. Cenage.