The truth of life that everyone knows but no one speaks of.

The odds of a seed growing into a tree are vanishingly small. It may be an even slimmer chance than one sperm cell out of millions creating life. Yet the protagonist of this book strives toward that near-impossible possibility.

I dream of becoming a tree—a thousand-year-old tree, no less. However, my fate seems inevitable: to be sold off. As my siblings often say, becoming a tree is nothing more than a delusion.

But then a friend, Rain, who once filled me with life and wisdom, approaches me and says:

“Being discarded or sold is not your destiny. Becoming a tree is your true fate.”

I am faced with another destiny, one that lies beyond the fate I was given. Yet my current reality remains the same: like my siblings, I am seized, thrown into a box, and eventually discarded as food for animals.

Thus begins my journey toward the destiny beyond my destiny—what Rain calls my true fate. Despite being devoured by insects, squirrels, and eagles, I refuse to give up on my dream.

Only after losing everything do I find myself in an unknown place, stripped bare and utterly vulnerable. There, I meet my old friends—Sunshine, Wind, and Rain—once again. But now, they are no longer the warm companions I remember. Instead, they drive me toward death.

It is then that I realize Sunshine, Wind, and Rain were never separate entities. Once nurturing me, now tearing me apart, their true name is none other than Time.

Life is about enduring the passage of time, achieving amidst its relentless flow, and overcoming the death that constantly threatens us. Along the way, I am inevitably thrust into the depths of profound solitude. But could that solitude be a form of contemplation, a struggle against the looming presence of death? This book asserts that solitude is, in fact, the key that opens the door to another world.

In the depths of solitude, I shatter the shell I once thought was protecting me. It is only then that I begin to take root and sprout, taking my first steps as a tree by letting go of myself.

But my trials are far from over. Once again, my old friends ruthlessly drive me to death, even as I manage to sprout the first tender shoots. The author seems to say that a thousand years is not a gift freely given.

I face extreme solitude once more. Yet, at last, I send roots deep into the earth and shoot my trunk skyward, ready to withstand the passage of a thousand years. Solitude, cherished as a dream, turns out to be the key to opening the door to eternity.

This book is a deeply moving and profound fable that inspires courage, encouraging readers to rise above the struggles of daily life. The dual presentation of illustrations and English text enriches the reading experience, allowing for a fuller enjoyment of its message.

Lee seabyuck

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