15 Dreamy Maple Forest

Inspired by “Maple Sugar Moon” in Braiding Sweetgrass

Once upon a time, there was a great fairy king named Havok. He ruled among the mystical land of Dreamy Maple Forest, where great Maple trees flourished and provided sweet divine sappy nectar for sprites to devour. It was a magical sap that tickled your tongue down to your toes and gave the sprites magical powers beyond belief. The sprites worshiped the Maple trees, planting new seeds, watering their soils, and turning their sweet sap into syrups and sugars for all the land. It was a joyous place for all who inhabited it.

King Havok was fair, and he cared for the fairies living under the protection of the great Maple trees. However, king Havok’s son Starling took the Maple trees for granted. Starling ate all their sugars and drained the great Maples of their sweet divine saps. Despite his father’s warnings, he was careless, and other sprites began to follow his example taking advantage of the magical gifts the great Maple trees provided them: shelter, protection, and life.

The Dreamy Maple Forest began to die, neglected by the fairies taking all the great Maples’ power. As the fairies grew stronger, the Maples grew weaker. There was no more planting of seeds, watering of their soils, or worshiping of the great Maple trees. The fairies were full of greed and took the great Maples for granted. King Havok grew enraged by his son Starlings’ actions and his people. But before he could restore the once magical forest he had created, he was taken over by the grief of losing his Maple trees. Havok turned the sprites into Maple trees and banished Starling to fix what he had broken.

Time passed, and all the great Maples in the mystical land of Dreamy Maple Forest had died, and so would the sprites trapped in the Maples soon, too, if Starling did not change his ways. There were no longer sweet divine saps left to make sugars and syrups. They would soon all starve and lose all their magic forever. Starling knew he had to change his ways, or the Dreamy Maple Forest that he had once called home would be lost forever.

One day, Starling woke up, looked into the mirror, and decided it was time to make a change. He vowed to restore the Dreamy Maple Forest and save the lives of the fairies he had trapped among the trees. Starling set out on a mission, but he needed help. Going from forest to forest, Starling asked for help from the squirrels, birds, and any other creature he could find. He was determined to restore the land of the Dreamy Maple Forest and promised shelter, protection, and a life full of magic and maple syrup for the rest of their lives. They all agreed joyously and began to help Starling restore the great Maples that once were.

Starling and his new friends began tending to the Maples once Spring began. They worked hard tending the trees, planting seeds, watering their soils, and worshipping the trees as his father had taught him. Once the perfect spring moment struck Starling, he found the scars of where once sap taps had been and screwed in three new taps into each tree in the forest. Placed a bucket underneath to gather all the Maple’s sweetness. He stayed up all night boiling the sap over the fire for very little reward in return. He only got one-quarter of syrup out for each bucket he boiled, but Starling would not give up. He vowed to restore the forest if it was the last thing he did.

Two years later… Starling and his friends worked diligently to restore the Dreamy Maple Forest. They had created a new village, built a home for their families, and started making syrup! The Dreamy Maple Forest was again flourishing and full of the magical sweet divine sappy nectar. Havok and the other fairies had long passed by now, but Starling kept his vow and restored the forest. It would never be the magical land of the fairies it once was, but it was his home, and he would never lose it again.

Starling finally learned the true meaning of the great Maples. The Maples remind us of the great gift nature gives us, but only if we are willing to put in the work to appreciate their kindness. Starling had learned this lesson, and he decided to plant thousands of yellow daffodils among the great Maples to show his gratitude and give to everyone who would tend to the Maples after he was gone.