The Tree of Ages It was a rainy summer day when I first entered it.

I was really curious to find out what was hiding deep into the dark forest. The wood looked like a mountain, with its cliff formed by The highest Tree in the middle. At the margins there were small, young trees and, as I walked deeper into it, the oaks looked higher and higher, older and older. The light was fading as I entered the wood. But I was protected against the furious rain that started again. I was thrilled imagining that in the forest might have lived wolves and bears and other beasts. But I continued my journey deep into the woods. The dark-green gigantic leaves kept the water away, but, even if summer, it was really cold in the shady forest I just entered. I couldn't help thinking of the beasts around. But I was too curious to stop. The branches were surrounding, entrapping me. Everywhere I looked there were huge brown branches. But soon enough I found a spring. It had a clear cold water which I drank at once. I felt revived shortly after this and I went on walking through the large black forest. Some birds started to sing and I stopped for a minute to listen to them. It was a strange song, a frightening one. I was horrified by it. I started to run and I went on running till I lost count of time. I only stopped when I found myself on the edge of an abyss. There were about 200 meters across the abyss, but it was so deep that I couldnt see its bottom. I was so scared, yet curious to find out what lay in the middle of the forest. I had to find a way to cross the abyss. I looked around. A trunk covered with bright colored moss was close to me. But the ground was wet and slippery and the trunk was circular. It was a too great distance between the edge I was on and the one I wanted to reach. But I needed to cross the abyss. It was a must. I took a risk and I clambered over the wet trunk. I dragged myself along the trunk and I almost fall off it. I looked down. The mist coming from below terrified me more. It was a desolate image of an unknown forest. I crawled along the trunk until I reached the other edge. The forest cliff was closer and for a moment I felt as if I had entered another world. The rain stopped suddenly, the sky got clear as all the grey clouds vanished.

The trees had their branches raised up, like holding the sky. The sun glowed brightly on the light-blue sky. I continued my journey listening carefully to the wolves howling. I wasnt scared anymore. That moment I felt powerful, ready to stand against anything that I might encounter. I started running again, but not because I felt terror, but because I was full of energy, full of dynamism, full of life. I reached the Tree in the centre in no time. It was a huge, marvelous tree. Its branches were enormous, its trunk immense. It had a huge hollow on the left side and it was surrounded by thousands of little trees which were all in blossom. Curious as I was I looked into the hollow. It was a paradisiacal landscape in it. Since it was large enough to allow a person to enter, I took a stone from the ground and I entered the Tree. Some green winding stairs led me to its top. But I could not see the forest. I was surrounded by a lake. It was very cold, just like winter. It was the opposite of what I felt when I entered it. But soon the place got to life. It got warmer and all of a sudden many animals started to swarm near me. The birds started to sing, but a song of enlightenment this time, a beautiful inspiring song that encouraged me. Baby plants started to sprout everywhere. The lake became clearer and storks came to fish in it. At nightfall all the nature became silent again. I threw the stone I had taken before entering the Tree into the lake. No sound. Silence. Too quiet. A dead silence. I went into the lake to take back the stone. Something was carrying me at its bottom. It was of great power. I felt like drowning. I was on the bottom of the lake. I was drowning but I had to find my stone. There were many stones. My eyes hurt as I opened them under water. But I managed to find the stone. All of a sudden I spotted something strange. There were stone plates on the lake bottom with letters engraved on them. It said THIS IS THE TREE OF AGES. DO NOT APP. Some plates were missing but I thought it said do not approach. But I approached it, and drowsy as I was I woke up at the margins of the forest.

The stone was in my hand. It had been a real experience. I did not imagine all. I was too tired so I went home. But I returned. The journey was the same, the feelings were the same. I wanted to see whether I had imagined everything or whether it had been real. I knew it was real. I was certain about it. I took a little branch with me this time and I climbed the infinite staircase. I watched the show of life and I waited for the silence. I threw myself into the lake again to seek other inscriptions. I could not find any other clue, but when I was about to drown I woke up again on the border. It was strange. The branch was in my hand. I could not stand this curiosity anymore so I entered it again. I stopped at the spring and started to think. So many ages had passed and no one ever discovered what is hiding in the Tree of Ages. How many years will be passing until someone discovers it? I drank some water from the spring. It had the same taste and the same temperature as the one in the lake. It hinted at something. I stared and I stared and, for a second, I could see in its mirror the same paradise I saw in the Tree. I put my hand into the spring to search further. I found many rocks on its bottom and I moved them to one side. There were several other stone plates on the bottom. I read what was written on them. It said NO ONE WILL EVER SOLVE THE MYSTERY OF THE TREE OF AGES I felt discouraged and I started to wonder why I had entered the dark forest. I entered again the Tree of Ages just to see its beauty one more time. I took a flower with me this time. I planted the flower on the dark moist soil near the lake. I waited for the revival once more; then for the silence. I looked again at everything there and I made my way through the lake.

Bibliography Macmillan Dictionary for Advanced Learners, New Edition, 2002 Chevalier, Jean, Gheerbrant, Alain, Dicionar de simboluri, Editura Artemis, Bucureti,1994 http://phylogenomics.blogspot.com/ 10.V.2011