|
THE CRYING TREE II
Once upon a time, long ago, a woman came upon a “crying tree.”
She saw that the tree had been injured. White liquid teardrops
dripped from a cut in the tree’s bark. Ever curious about the world
around her, she collected some of the liquid and observed that it
had very unique elastic properties.
Eventually, she and her fellow villagers discovered many uses
for the new elastic material. They found that they could make
temporary elastic shoes by dipping their feet into the liquid. By
mixing it with various saps and juices of other local plants, they
were able to customize the properties of the new material resulting
in the development of advanced items such as water resistant
clothing. They even used the material to manufacture children's
toys and bouncy balls for competitive sports.
Later when the Europeans arrived, the villagers shared with them
their knowledge of the crying tree and its beneficial teardrops.
When samples of the elastic material first arrived in England, it
was observed that the material was extremely good for rubbing out
pencil marks on paper. As a result, the teardrops from the crying
tree came to be known as “rubber.”
While seeking this small cache, pay your respects to the “crying
tree” and celebrate the contribution made so very long ago by that
resourceful woman and her fellow villagers. |