32 Comments
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JerryMic's avatar

All of the explanations are completely wrong. It's obviously a progenitor of the Socratea exorrhiza, or the walking palm tree, native to rain forests in Central/South America. It was obviously stalking a white lipped peccary when you stumbled across it. These moving trees have been known to halt its progress for prolonged periods of time so as to fool its predators and therefore long enough for you to make a fine sketch. Had you returned 24 hours later you would have discovered that same spot would now be empty and perhaps discover the remains of a white lipped peccary. No one knows for sure how these cross links between mammal and plant achieve movement since there haven't been enough studies and no one has seen them actually in motion, just the aftermath. There is a program at the Universidad Nacional de San Antonio Abad del Cusco in Cusco Peru who has been studying this phenomenon over the past 20 years headed by Decano Dr. Luciano JULÍAN Cruz Miranda who heads the Facultad Ciencias BIOLÓGICAS who is probably the foremost authority of this "missing link" species.

Jerry M.

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Espe's avatar

I believe you.

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Dale Ketcheson's avatar

I chose the first, scientific explanation. For me the ability of trees, of all organisms, to grow and persist under difficult and changing environments is absolute magic. It is a miracle. The overwhelming impetus of all organisms is to survive. Your lovely little tree is definitely a survivor! And you have helped it survive further by drawing it.

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James Gurney's avatar

Thanks. I also lean toward the scientific explanation. The more we learn about the sensitivities and subtleties of the plant world, the more magical they become.

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Gean Ann Nelson's avatar

Earnest's is my favorite of your choices, but the real explanation is more twisted and sad. This was once a young twig of a tree, reaching straight for the sun and grateful for rain and soil and wind. The rain fed its small roots, the wind strengthened its resolve to grow and the soil both anchored and fed it. As the world and the tree grew old together, deceit and lies, hate and fear grew among all the world. The little tree, once straight and strong, turned inward and twisted, believing the lies and feeding on the hate around it. It no longer grew straight and strong but twisted and inward; no longer grateful, no longer straight. And so it is today as you drew it.

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Lynnwood Hage's avatar

Wow!

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Diogo M Reis's avatar

Maybe it's just me, but that's clearly not a tree, that is an ent. And it's moving, albeit too slowly for human eyes to perceive, but if you go back in a couple of years you will see how it has advanced. At its own pace. Undisturbed.

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Mimi Sellers's avatar

I don't believe this is a culturally modified tree but there are thousands across the Nation and the shapes have distinct meanings particularly for the tribe that has made them. Since trees last a very long time the message lasts a long time. Some are burial trees and some are directional trees for water and so on.

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steve l. kemper's avatar

Indigenous people were known to mark trails in such a manner and I believe some of these trees are still in existence.

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James Gurney's avatar

Reminds me of the process of tree shaping for rustic furniture building, where young trees are trained and guided—often using wooden or metal forms—to grow into specific shapes such as chairs, tables, or other structures.

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Mike Steele's avatar

I believe a strong wind storm (Helene-like) blew the tree over and upended the rootball. The stronger roots survived as the dirt washed away over time, and new limbs grew upwards as the damaged trunk mended in the bent position. The tree was likely about ready to walk and straighten up when you came upon it. The tree deceptively froze in that position until you left - kind of like an opossum playing dead. If you go to look at the tree again, and others doing the same, it will freeze again, and again, thus making it take centuries to have courage to stand up straight.

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Lori Fontaine's avatar

Hi James. I chose the Folkloric description, as I like to believe that the woods are alive and dancing--we just don't have the magic in our souls to see it. My personal idea is that this tree has been captured mid-handstand (or "branch" stand!), as it physically manifests its joy. I'm sure it was dancing, but held still so you could capture it!

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Sandra strait's avatar

I don’t think any responses are correct because that is obviously not a tree. It is a fossilized forest dragon, a relative of the phoenix, that will come back to life if there is ever a forest fire.🔥

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Martin Plsko's avatar

Oh, I forgot the second question: can you come up with a completely different explanation? I can. Two trees had a quarell, a misunderstanding. This one is sulking, currently on it´s way a couple dozen meters away, where it would slam the door, if there were a door. Since trees operate on a different timeline than humans, their movements seem static to us, hasty short lived homo sapiens sapiens. Hence the bent posture and the scowling look.

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Delaney Gibbons's avatar

I loved the additional background added to the rabbit story - so many interesting details! My second choice would be the scientific one because of the imagery evoked. I love the idea of the shape that the tree grew over no longer existing, like it's gone back into the earth.

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RogueToaster's avatar

I chose the second because it seems like it would be a lot of fun to illustrate and leaves me wanting to know more details about Lagomorphia. A really fun overall concept!

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Martin Plsko's avatar

I chose Eric´s fantasy explanation, because the first, scientific explanation is just regular (if my son would ask me about the tree on a stroll, this is what I would say to him) and the last 2 are not very imaginative, imho. But the second one, it has nice worldbuilding: the Borough market, different types of rabbits and grasses and actually a whole new world, Lagomorphia. This I would say when talking about our day and the stroll, whilst getting ready to sleep. A good night story.

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Sandra Randall's avatar

Exactly this.

I write and draw… turning ordinary into magical is my passion. The point is, our world is full of wonder. Allowing it to spark our imagination is a higher calling. Well done Eric O.

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Brian's avatar

I’m not much for ai but I did like the third explanation. I’m a sucker for sci-fi stuff so that’s probably why.

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Kate Case's avatar

Me too

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Kaitlin Gray's avatar

Ancient creature that used to roam the world before entering its fourth life stage, putting down roots and growing leafy branches to connect with the land and sky. It helps hold the world together in its current form until a new age begins or humans destroy every living thing and interrupt the cycle and then who knows what will happen.

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Lois Blood Bennett's avatar

I love them all. Can't decide.

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