Oak and River

In a quiet and damp meadow, deep in the valley,
There stood majestic Oak, old and wise.
River of crystal clear water flowed next to him,
And magic of friendship happened between them.

Oak held on to his roots that went into the ground,
Over long years of his existence, he saw and learned a lot.
River was alive, changeable and seething, ever changing,
She carried wisdom from shore to shore across distance.




Free image from Pixabay



One day River asked Oak:
"You've been standing here for centuries, in any weather,
What have you learned throughout your life?
Can you tell what is the most valuable thing in the world?"

Oak answered River, rustling his leaves:
"I learned to endure any adversity and remain myself,
Any rains and winds pass by without touching me.
But the most important thing I've learned over the years,
That my friendship with River is a priceless treasure.
My old deep roots wash and drink in your waters,
You tell me wonders you have seen about the world.
I can stand next to you for another thousand years, River."

Thus, the lesson from this fable is simple:
No matter what kind of unbreakable conservative you are,
Without liberal ideas, you are just a tree drying in a clearing.



The original text was written by me in Russian. I haven't studied English systematically so the translation may not be ideal. The main work was done by Google Translate, I just corrected obvious absurdities, where I noticed them and where I did not confuse them with brilliant insights.