Nathaniel, a horse-riding traveler in eighteenth century Europe, emerges from a vast forest to see a field of golden wheat. At the centre of the field is a large tree and, at its base, a man. Strangely, the man appears to be talking to the tree.<br><br>At the village inn, Nathaniel asks the barman about the man and tree. The barman refuses to tell him anything, so Nathaniel decides to visit the man himself. The following morning he rides back to the field, where he notices the man is still there, talking to the tree.<br><br>He introduces himself to the man, whose name is Adam. When questioned about why he sits beside the tree, talking to it, Adam reveals a story so amazing, it borders on being unbelievable. Nathaniel, too, has a similar tale, the conclusion of which is just as bizarre and shocking as Adam’s.

Man and Tree

One chilly evening, at the beginning of autumn, they’d been celebrating their half-year anniversary in a small inn somewhere in Germany. When the innkeeper kicked them out, they spilled onto the road in drunken joviality.


“Someone’s pinched our horses,” slurred Ferdinand.


Nathaniel draped an arm around Ferdinand’s shoulders and kissed him. “You’re a silly beggar, aren’t you? We didn’t bring the horses. They’re exactly where we left them.”


Ferdinand burst out laughing. “Of course they are.” Then he stopped laughing. “Where did we leave them?”


Nathaniel stopped because, just at that moment, he noticed a dark figure appear directly in front of them. Ferdinand hadn’t yet noticed and walked into the figure, knocking it down.


“Why don’t you watch where you’re going?” growled Ferdinand.


It was difficult to see anything with only a half moon in the sky, but the figure, surprisingly, seemed to be a woman, an old woman. Ferdinand helped her up.


Chapter 12