The little girl, about 7 years of age, was determined to walk up the hillside to reach the tree by mid morning. When she got to the tree, a storm had started and it was too slippery for her to return down the mountain. She went inside the hole in the Mumbi tree with her special bag. She asked the bag that would give her anything she needed, for a blanket and a sandwich. When she opened the bag the things she asked for were there. She made herself comfortable and fell asleep.
The next thing she knew was that it had stopped snowing and she was snowed in, having the snow almost fully covering the opening in the tree. So she asked the bag for some toast since she was hungry, but it didn’t work. She asked the bag for a shovel to help her clear the snow. Again, she looked inside the bag and nothing was there.
So she asked the Mumbi tree, “Mumbi, Mumbi, Mumbi tree..please listen to me…how do I get out of your tree? And why is this bag that is supposed to have everything I need, empty?” Tears were dripping down her cheeks, she felt scared and alone and wished her mother was there.
And then she saw that she wasn’t fully snowed in, there was a little space with sunlight tip-toeing through the hole. She reached up and dug with her hands that were lucky enough to have gloves on them. The sunlight got brighter, as she cleared the snow, the most amazingly delightful smell of roses came in, and the light seemed to have flutters of wings upon it.
Her heart softening and her worries drifting away, a smile came upon her face. She closed her eyes and let her face be warmed by the sun. She breathed in the wonderful smell of the world and felt calmer and calmer. As she opened her eyes, she saw not only the golden light of the sun, but her mother’s face smiling down upon her.
“Mother, “she said.”I must have fallen asleep. I was so scared when I woke up alone and then the golden sun and the smell of roses gave me the strength to shovel out the snow. And now, here you are. How are you here mother?”
“Well, my dear, wherever you are, wherever you go, I will do my best to be there for you and with you, and to make sure you have what you need. “
“Mother, you are who put the sandwich and milk and blanket in my bag! “
“Yes my love, I am,” her mother replied smiling. “And yet, since you believed you would have everything you needed, you had the courage to walk up this hillside by yourself, and you see you have had everything you needed. “
“Yes mother, the tree gave me comfort and the blanket gave me warmth. The sandwich and milk gave me food and the sunlight gave me hope.” As the little girl ran into her mother’s arms, she noticed the snow outside had melted away and a beautiful breakfast was set up in front of the tree. They ate quietly together and when they were done they put their noses up to the trunk of the tree and sent the Mumbai tree their love. As they did this, the leaves on the branches started to wave up and back, even though there was no wind. And the sweet smell of roses filled the air.
The little girl and her mother held hands, and as they walked away from the tree, down the hillside, the leaves stopped moving and the tree, once again, stood there, steady, awaiting her next guests.