Storytelling Starters ~ Nature stories
Back from Venice, I’ve been thinking – as you do! – about what were the best bits in a very good ten days.
One of my favourite things was something I saw just a few steps away from our hotel in Cannaregio.
Funny, you don’t get many trees in Venice. Yet everywhere there’s so much wood.
Boats of all sorts…
Huge wooden pylons to mark the routes boats must follow…
Window shutters and doors…
But then I saw a little sign hanging on a little tree not far from our vaporetto stop.
The tree, as it happens, is near a little Nursery School and the sign is directly addressed to children.
Roughly translated, the words say this:
Dear Little Child
Admire me when I am in flower.
Gather my fruits when they are ripe.
Look after me when I am resting.
Ciao (Bye bye) ~ Pruno Alfi
What a wonderful sign!
It’s the whole year’s life-cycle of a tree captured in just three lines.
It’s addressed to children but appeals to all.
It’s like a letter from a real live being (Prunus is a wide genus that includes many types of fruit tree including the cherry).
It’s written with such affection it must surely encourage children (and adults) to take note and value and look after trees.
In fact, it’s a story in itself.
A story to be taken up and copied here in the UK?
P.S. The sign reminded me of a joke.
Question: What’s the definition of an acorn?
Answer: An oak tree in a nutshell.
Ciao till next week and another Nature Story.
Tags: finding stories, Pruno Alfi, tree sign, Venice
June 24th, 2012 at 6:28 pm
I so enjoyed the pictures from Venice and the inspiring story – thank you Mary.
Jeanxx
June 30th, 2012 at 10:27 pm
What a beautiful sign, thank you for finding it.
A New Zealand tree lover
August 8th, 2012 at 4:38 pm
What a lovely sign, so thought provoking.
Thank you for finding it.
Liz West Wales
August 16th, 2012 at 12:01 pm
Maria, Cara
I love the pic, too, I forgot to say in my email.
xxx