“In winter storms, one by one, the great branches broke and crashed…” Soon only the trunk is left – but it’s a “proud” trunk, reaching to the sky with “its broken arms.” Its branches “turned grey with death” – while baby woodpeckers hatch inside. “Life gnawed at its heart,” Tresselt explains, describing in turn the ants, termites, woodpeckers, and even rot-causing spores that weakened the tree. The tree is impossibly old – and it’s accompanied by animals – but nature holds more surprises. “Squirrels made their homes in ragged bundles of sticks and leaves held high in the branches.” “For a hundred years or more…” The tree grew and spread its shade, and birds and other animals nested in its branches. “It stood tall in the forest,” writes Alvin Tresselt. Breathtaking watercolors by Henri Sorensen help to tell the haunting story of a dead tree.
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