The Wonder Tree: A Reflection on Society
                         
                       The Wonder Tree
          
         On the desert of Arabia, there was a tribe ruled by Ali Ben. One evening his daughter Zulieka ran to him and told him that there was a stranger going to their tribe. The newcomer told them that the Great Sheik Ben Nedi was coming the next day. Everyone was excited for their visitor is a great leader from another tribe, so they prepared gifts for coming Sheik. While everyone is busy preparing, only Zuleika sat alone and idle. She went near the great stone and sat there to  weep. Suddenly a misty white figure took a shape of a beautiful fairy. The fairy asked Zuleika why she was crying and Zuleika told her the reason. The fairy told her that she has more to offer the Sheik and come abck tomorrow where her tears fell upon and she will find something to give the Sheik. The next morning Zuleika came back and found a tree standing, so she told her father. That afternoon the great Sheik came and agreed that Zuleika's gift was tashe best of all. Arabia bless the day for they know that the tree will furnish them with food, fiber and shade. 

        Introduction
               The wonder tree is an Arabian Folktale. If you will be reading this blog, you'll know a lot of things especially when Zuleika thought that she had nothing to give to the Great Sheik Ben Nedi but suddenly a fairy help her and gave Zuleika the special gift coming from her own tears and what will came out is a tree. When the Sheik saw the tree and said that that is a the" Greatest Gift from A Child's Tears" and Arabia bless that day. I thought that this story has connection to the Arabian traditions and culture.           This blog talks about how the wonder tree started and also what's behind this story. This blog may include my reactions, oipinions etc. base on the story that I chose.

           Body

When Zulieka show her gift to the Sheik

           
      This story has a moral lesson and that is we should not think negative things always like what Zulieka did to herself. Zulieka directly think to herself that she don't have the chance and time to give the gift to the Great Sheik Ben Nedi, because her camel died and she can't think for a another gift besides her own camel. Until Zuleika discovered something and that is, every wish or something that you want there will always be hope and patience for that thing you want.The folktale implies the culture of Arabians being hospitable to visitors from faraway lands. Offerings gifts to their visitors gives me a hint of the culture of Arabia which can be somewhat similar to our Filipino values. The folktale also find a way how the date palm can show the identity of the Arabian land.

Ghwarrie Tree

Shepard's Tree

           Approximately 12 km from Willowmore, the "Wonderboom" or "Wonder Tree" is found. Here, two trees namely the Ghwarrie tree (Eudea undulate) and a Shepard's Tree (Boscia Oleolides also called a witgat) grow next to each other. What makes this "Wonder Tree" unique. is the fact that the Shepard's Tree has three stems coming up out of the ground. Two of the stems have joined each other, forming an "eye of the needle" and the third stem has grown througrh the eye, forming the "thrllead". thus wonderfully creating a "needle and thread effect". The Ghwarrie Tree merely keeps the Shepard's Tree company. Both of these plants are regarded as shrubs, but due to years of grazing by stocks. they are nowadays regarded as trees. While making the formal road between Aberdeen and Willowmore in about 1906, this unique tree was discovered. At the time, it was already a mature tree. Fairly little attention was given this unique tree. It was only when this road was tarred in 1961, that people gave it more attention and really acknowledged the "Wonderboom" as a unique phenomen and a wonder of nature. In recent years, the e tree was fenced off to protect if from being grazed and from destruction and many people wondered why the "Wonderboom" was mentioned. In early 1900, the veld around Willowmore was put under pressure by small stock grazing. Both the Ghwarrie tree ans the Shepards's tree are tasty. Goats in particular, pruned the umbrella shaped, thus making the wonder visible. It is very  difficult to determine the age of this tree because of it's slow growth rate. The "Wonder Tree" can be hundreds of years old.          From that day on , the date palm tree spread throughout the desert and is still today one of the greatest gifts known to Arabia. Food, shelter. medicine and fuel are just few of the many uses of the date palm. My reaction base from the culture and history is that we should respect it, now matter what happens. We didn't really know that the story of  the wonder tree is really related to the history and culture by itself. While my opinion to the culture and history is that people should respect the Arabians and also the story called "The Wonder Tree", even though it is not your country.

         Conclusion
     
        I have discovered that every story that I've read has meaning that we didn't know. Old stories has their own history, traditions, culture and beliefs that we didn't know. I've also noticed this that all of the stories has moral lessons like the wonder tree, the moral lesson in there is that we should not directly give up on what we want to do. There will always hope, no matter what happens to our self and also be patient. I've learned new things because of story "The Wonder Tree"



           References

        

        *  www.geocaching.com                                   *  en.wikipedia.org                    

        *  yallatoursblog.com                                       *  dictionary.com