if a tree falls in the forest . . . : a parable

Once upon a time, Smokey the Bear decided he didn’t like part of the Forest so he burned that part down. A number of the woodland creatures were left homeless, injured, or simply dead. Others were outraged. Smokey tossed a few seeds on the ground in hopes that the Forest might someday grow back more to his liking, but that hadn’t happened yet, and most of the woodland creatures were getting impatient.

In the midst of the chaos, a tree fell in the forest.

Several animals saw the tree fall. One was named Little Bird. Some of the Forest media reported the fallen tree. Eventually, a Newsforest magazine reporter named Eager Beaver spoke to Little Bird, who told him that the tree had fallen. Eager Beaver asked Smokey the Bear to corroborate the story about the tree falling; Smokey traveled to the site and looked at the stump and wouldn’t deny that the tree had fallen. So Eager Beaver published the story in Newsforest magazine.

A group of woodland creatures conducted one of their weekly Rage Against the Green demonstrations in the burnt-out sector of the Forest. They used the fallen tree as a symbol of everything that was wrong with Smokey’s Forest policy. This week’s demonstration escalated into a riot and several animals were killed.

Several things then happened in no particular order: Smokey the Bear threw a big bear fit, a large number of Magpies began blaming Newsforest for the deaths, and Newsforest retracted the story about the fallen tree.

Months later, Jack Rabbit and John Deer sat on the stump of the fallen tree. The Forest was still largely burned and precious few of Smokey the Bear’s seeds had sprouted. Large numbers of woodland creatures were still homeless, injured, or dying. “Remember when this tree fell?” asked Jack.

John rolled his eyes. “That tree didn’t fall,” he said. “That story was discredited.”

SPACEDARK