You know the infamous question, “If a tree falls in a forest and nobody was there to see or hear it, did it really make a sound?” This is a question that I have, embarrassingly enough, argued about with people who like to talk about philosophy. Generally I feel pretty out of my league in these conversations, but after an experience Jim and I had in the Boston Common, I am pretty sure I can answer this question with full confidence.
Jim and I had learned before coming to Boston that the book Make Way for Duckling by Robert McCloskey was inspired by the famous swan boats in the Boston Common. We both remember reading the book growing up and decided we needed to find the statues of Mrs. Mallard and her eight ducklings. Although we had walked through the Common several times on other days, we had yet to spot the statues. It is at a time like this, before things get ugly, that one should ask for directions. We decided to do just that.
Perched up on a sturdy, tall horse was a park ranger. Now, he was quite different than the Ranger Smith we all came to love watching Yogi Bear. He is not protecting forests, watching out for wildlife, and stopping bears from stealing picnic baskets. This ranger is the “cop” of the park. So, understanding that he would know the park inside and out, we decided to ask him. After waiting for a large group of teenagers to stop “ooohing” and “aaahing” at his horse, we got our chance to ask directions. The ranger was very polite but it was obvious he had already answered this question one too many times. He pointed us in the right direction, gave us a street to watch for, and sent us on our way.
As we were walking down one of the winding paths and admiring all of the weeping willow trees we heard a loud noise that sounded much like firecrackers being set off. In fact, I was convinced that some hooligans were up to no good somewhere. The noise was definitely loud and it stopped us in our tracks. Before getting back to the path we heard a few people spreading the news that a tree had come crashing down in the Common. What? That must have been one big tree.
Curiosity had gotten the better of both of us, and we felt the urge to go check things out. We started following a few people who were off to see this phenomena as well. We were soon led right back to where we had started, at the foot of the ranger and his horse. We stared up at a huge oak tree in complete awe as one of its largest branches had basically peeled itself off of the tree and had come crashing to the ground. I soon realized that the firecracker sound was, in fact, the “peeling” or breaking of the branch on this great tree.
Jim and I stood there for awhile, just looking at it. Then, we snapped some photos and talked about how close we had been to being right there, and how the same thing had actually killed someone in New York City’s Central Park earlier that week. I guess the Boston Common tree phenomena taught us, at least, two things. Trees falling in a wood do make a sound, and in fact they sound like firecrackers. And, we are so lucky to have someone knowing our every move and protecting us.
If you have not already, you should definitely buy and read Make Way For Duckling by Robert McCloskey. It is a classic and must be owned by all American households!
Click here to get Make Way For Duckling.
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