Night Time Story: The Wishing Tree
In the center of Maplewood Village stood a tree unlike any other. Its trunk twisted in curious spirals, and its leaves changed colors with the passing clouds. The villagers called it the Wishing Tree.
Legend said that anyone who whispered a wish to a leaf and then caught that leaf when it fell would have their wish granted. But as most legends go, there was a catch – wishes never came true exactly as expected.
Ten-year-old Lily didn’t believe in the Wishing Tree. Not until her birthday, when her parents told her they couldn’t afford the bicycle she wanted.
That afternoon, with tears still drying on her cheeks, Lily found herself standing beneath the Wishing Tree. A soft breeze rustled through its branches, almost like a whisper.
“I wish for a new blue bicycle,” Lily said to a golden leaf dancing at the end of a low branch. As if in response, the leaf broke free and fluttered down. Lily caught it perfectly in her palm.
For weeks, Lily checked her front porch every morning. No bicycle appeared. “See? Just a silly story,” she told herself.
One Saturday, Lily met a new girl named Maya who had moved into the house down the street. Maya used a wheelchair and couldn’t join the other kids playing in the park.
“Do you want to explore the creek instead?” Lily suggested. “There’s a smooth path that goes all the way through.”
The girls became fast friends. Every day after school, they discovered new adventures together. Maya told amazing stories, and Lily showed Maya all the secret spots in Maplewood that her wheelchair could reach.
One day, Maya’s father called Lily’s parents. “Maya talks about Lily constantly,” he said. “We have a surprise for her.”
That weekend, Maya’s family invited Lily over. In their garage stood two gleaming machines – a new blue bicycle and a hand-powered bike attached to a wheelchair.
“We ordered this special bike so Maya could go on rides,” Maya’s father explained. “But she needs a riding partner. We thought you might like to be that person.”
Lily’s eyes widened as she realized the blue bicycle was for her.
“Maya told us you didn’t have one,” Maya’s mother said. “Consider it a thank-you for being such a good friend.”
As Lily and Maya pedaled together along the creek path, Lily remembered the golden leaf she had caught weeks ago. Her wish had come true – just not in the way she expected.
That evening, Lily returned to the Wishing Tree. This time, she whispered to a bright red leaf, “I wish everyone could find a friend like Maya.”
The leaf spun down into her waiting hands. Lily tucked it carefully into her pocket.
Over the next year, Lily noticed strange coincidences. A lonely old man who always sat alone in the park found a chess partner. The grumpy baker who never smiled made friends with a customer who shared her love of rare spices. Even the stray cat that no one wanted found a home with the kindergarten teacher.
Lily began to understand the Wishing Tree’s secret. It didn’t just grant wishes – it showed people the path to make wishes come true themselves.
Years passed. Lily grew up and moved away to college. When she returned to visit, she always stopped by the Wishing Tree.
On one visit, she found a small girl crying beneath its branches.
“The tree doesn’t work,” the girl sniffled. “I wished for a puppy three whole days ago.”
Lily smiled and sat beside her. “What’s your name?”
“Emma.”
“Well, Emma, can I tell you a secret about the Wishing Tree?”
As Lily explained how wishes really worked, a golden leaf drifted down, landing between them. Both reached for it at the same time, their fingers touching as they caught it together.
Later that week, the animal shelter called Lily’s parents. A litter of puppies needed temporary homes. And Emma’s parents, who had always said no to pets, surprised themselves by saying yes when Emma showed them the volunteer form from the shelter.
The Wishing Tree continued its work in Maplewood Village, granting wishes in ways no one expected, teaching each generation that the best wishes are the ones we help come true for each other.
By Oliver Greenleaf
