Katie W., Pennsylvania Tree Trouble Katie! You re never going to believe what I just found outside, my five-year-old backyard neighbor, Tyler Keith, exclaimed breathlessly outside my kitchen door. Tyler just wasn t my neighbor; he was my kindred spirit. He was a mini Mr. Handyman and very practical. I, too, was five and a devoted fan of Home and Garden Television. Despite our young years, we usually didn t really think we needed adults to tell us what to do. What s up, Ty? If Tyler was out of breath, then there was BIG news. I couldn t remember him being this excited about anything since he showed me the engine of his family s new lawnmower. I made a move out the sliding door to join Tyler out on my icy porch. My mom stopped my tomboy eagerness right in its tracks. Katie! It s January! Why are you heading out the door without your coat, hat, and mittens? I groaned. I was convinced the exciting thing that Tyler had to show me just COULD NOT wait until I had put my winter gear on. A penetrating wind was blowing whirling snow through the open door, but I didn t care. Mom, PLEASE? Just this once can I go outside without all that junk? I pleaded. Tyler s mom is smart, and she let him out wearing only a coat and hat. That s because she didn t see me! Tyler muttered under his breath. Besides, I continued. Mittens just get in the way. Mom was unconvinced. She was just set in her ways sometimes. At the moment, she was being especially stubborn in one of our ongoing mother-daughter disputes. The Keith s had recently planted pine trees around their swing set, and I thought we should plant some trees around our swing set. My mom thought trees would be nice around our swing set, too, but she kept saying trees were too expensive for the landscaping budget. By our calculations, we would only need about four or five trees to make a nice little screen of trees, but my mom still thought that we should wait. Both Tyler and I thought Mom was wrong. How could trees be too expensive? Heck, organizations gave little pine trees out on Arbor Day for free! But right now, I had to figure out why Tyler was grinning like the Cheshire cat.
Let s go! I said once every corner of skin was covered by the junk Mom required. Okay! Tyler said excitedly as he led me against the blustery wind to the yard of our neighbors, Mr. and Mrs. Schiller. This was getting more puzzling by the minute. Right this way! When we finally got to the right location, Tyler just stood and pointed. Without a word, he knew that I was thinking exactly what he was thinking. There, near the neighbors curb, was a pine tree. It needed a little bit of love, but it was huge and perfectly shaped. It was just what we needed for around our swing set. Well, maybe a LITTLE love is a bit of an understatement. The tree had needles falling off by the second, and it was more brown than green. I was firmly convinced, however, that this tree was going to come back to health once it had been properly planted and watered by T and K Landscaping. I couldn t believe the Schillers were abandoning it. Tyler, you are a genius! I shouted gleefully. My mom is going to be so surprised. Let s go get her. Wait, we can make it a huge surprise. We can haul it up to the swing set ourselves, and then set it up to show her how nice it will look when we ve planted it! Tyler looked at me for a long time without saying anything. He was always very thoughtful before embarking on a job. Okay, I m in. Now what should we do first? We need could get some string to drag it up the hill and to tie it up until we plant it, I suggested. Then we had a long argument about who would be able to get the string from their house without being seen by my mom. Finally, I remembered, There s some string in my garage that I could get! She ll never know! As I ran for my garage, I felt the wind swoosh by my ears. I opened the door against the wind using all my strength. Then, I stealthily slipped into the garage. I felt like a thief in my own home! I walked to a small shelf amongst the cobwebs and the dead worms. I grabbed the 100% Cotton String and made a break for it. When I got back to the tree, Tyler was tapping his foot on the ground. No scissors? Sorry, the scissors are in the house, I said as I pulled my mittens off with my teeth. I was not going to be able to grip a tree with slippery mittens on. As we unwound the string, Tyler s older brother, Chris, came over with an air gun in his hand. Chris was old, at least 11, and he liked to tell Tyler what to do. What are you guys doing? Chris asked, somewhat accusingly. We re saving Mrs. Wingert some good money! Tyler offered.
Chris looked quite amused. Oh really. How? If you must know, we are using 100% Cotton String to tie up this majestic old tree to landscape our swing set, I answered, bringing out the big guns of my vocabulary to defend Tyler s and my work. I tried to hold my head high and look at him scornfully like Julie Andrews in Mary Poppins, which I had just watched the night before. And now, I beg of you, (more Julie Andrews), tell us what is so funny about that? Chris let out a hearty belly laugh, and that annoyed us. No five year old ever wants to be laughed at by an older brother. He sputtered, amidst more laughs, You that that tree! 100% Cotton String! Tyler and I rolled our eyes in unison. Yes, Chris. And our serious business needs our FULL attention. We cannot deal with your stupid questions at the moment. Get lost! Tyler had done a thorough job of dismissing Chris. We turned our backs to Chris and continued our serious business. We unwound an exorbitant amount of 100 Percent Cotton String and then, since we had no scissors, spent five minutes taking turns trying cut the string by ripping through it with our teeth. When I finally cut through, Tyler, the perfectionist was not happy because the end was frayed. I don t know if that will do, Katie, he offered. If you do a job, you should do it right. I know, Tyler," I replied somewhat sadly. "But we re in a tough situation here, so it will have to do. First we tied the rope around the tree, getting very tangled in the process. Then we began the long haul up the hill into my yard where the swing set was positioned. It was hard work. We were moving at an inchworm s pace. Our backs and shoulders ached from the strain of pulling. Our throats were dry; our hands were cut up from string and sap; and we were going against the wind. Worst of all, it was REALLY cold. But we were determined. Using that 100 % Cotton String, we pulled that tree to the swing set, leaving a long trail of broken twigs and brown needles behind us. All that remained was to get the tree upright. That was almost as tough as going up the hill. The heavy tree kept sliding down on the cold, wet grass. The wind was so loud we had to shout directions at each other. No, no Katie. Push harder. Get it up! Tyler was in his glory barking out directions. Move it to the left. Level, level... Finally, the tree was upright, sort of. We tied at least 100 yards of 100% Cotton String around its branches and the braces of the swing set to secure it, and then, red-faced, itchy, and cold, we stood back to admire our work. Boy, oh boy. Mom is going to think this is awesome! I said. Even though we were exhausted, we raced
down the hill and got my mom. Mom! Come look at our surprise! I yelled hoarsely through the kitchen door. We dragged Mom out without a coat and trekked back up the hill. Mom was curious, but she moved slowly in the wind and cold. We could hardly contain ourselves. We wanted her to see our grand accomplishment. She saw it all right. There it stood in all its glory. Our big surprise was hitched up to the swing set in an enormous tangle of 100% Cotton String. Braced against the frost-covered crossbars, it leaned at a precarious angle. Like a little flag, a single piece of silver tinsel waved from its brown, depleted branches. Tyler and I beamed with pride and waited for her to say something. All she could get out was Oh, my.... Don t you see Mom? We got you landscaping! I burst out. For FREE! Tyler added. Finally, Mom could speak. I appreciate that you two. But where did you get this tree? From the Schillers' yard. They had it by the curb for the trash, Tyler said. We saved it. I see, she said very carefully. This represents great teamwork. But guys, I m afraid you can t plant this tree. See? It doesn t have any roots. This is a cut tree. The Schillers were using this tree inside as their Christmas tree. Even if you planted this tree, it wouldn t survive. Even if we watered it every day? I asked hopefully. Even if you watered it every day, Mom answered. It can t take in water because it has no roots. Ohhhhhhh, I said. I was starting to piece it together now. I had wondered why the bottom was flat instead of having a giant ball wrapped in burlap at the end of its trunk like the Keiths' trees. No wonder the Schillers had put it out with the garbage. No wonder Chris had laughed. A cut tree was a dead tree, and, using 100% Cotton String, we had tried to landscape with it. We were humiliated. Mom was feeling a bit sorry for us. Why don t you two go inside and get some hot cocoa. Katie, I ll have your brothertake the tree back to the Schillers for you. Maybe Mrs. Keith will have Chris help, too. I smiled. If there was one good thing about the whole experience, it was the fact that the older brothers would have to do some good, old-fashioned work.
Some other good things came out of that day, too. I learned a bunch of lessons that will travel with me for a long time. That day was the first day I realized a tree can t be planted without roots. It was also the first time I had to admit that some jobs might need a little adult supervision, at least when it involves two five-year-olds.