Mistakes of Father

The leafless, almost dead-looking trees stood in the cold air. Their branches were reaching towards the sky, waiting for the warmth of spring to bring them back to life.

Thump! Thump! Thump!

The sound of thumping frightened the nearby birds, and with their small wings, they took flight into the safety of the thin forest.

That sound of a thump came from a man, who was carrying a heavy pillar on his back. It was clear that the man's footsteps were as heavy as the weight he was carrying.

After a short while, the man arrived in a slight clearing. The ground was uneven. A few hills went up and down, but the trees were quite spread out, so there was plenty of space for the man to set down his heavy load.

"Hup!"

With a grunt, he put the pillar down on the ground carefully. The ground still shook, and trembled.

"Why is the pillar so heavy for you?"