By Favour Chukwuonye
On a windy, misty morning, in the village of Ogun, came a huge man named Donald. He had a lanky looking daughter, popularly called Lily. Lily had two rich male friends named John and Johnson, who are also twins. These friends followed her everywhere she went and protected her.
One day, as Lily and her friends were going to school, she playfully threw a stone at a tree and the tree began to talk. She gaped and said, “It’s a talking tree!” knowing full well about the origin of the tree, the friends beckoned on her to stop looking at the tall, old-looking, scanty tree. But she refused. I will leave you here, John said helplessly. “It is a magical tree” said Johnson. Yet, she wouldn’t listen. So, they dragged her out and they all left.
The next day, Lily sneaked out of her father’s house to take a further look at the tree because she believed that it is a free world. After staring at the tree for about thirty minutes, her eyes started itching her and she began to scratch them as if she was digging gold from the mine. After a while, she began to scream and shout! “I can’t see! I can’t see!” Unfortunately for her, the farmers and everyone have all gone to work and school, so, there was no one to rescue her. Next, the spirit from the tree took her into the tree and she disappeared.
In the tree, the oldest looking man asked her why she was looking at them despite the warnings. She burst into tears and pleaded that she won’t do it again. All the spirits flogged her mercilessly and widened her eyes after that, they kicked her out of the tree.
She fell out and staggered to her house. Although her sight was restored, her eyes became so big like that of an owl. She learnt her lesson and never went to the tree again.
Favour is of Lordswill Academy, Abuja