There was a time when all trees and plants on Earth could walk, run, and even jump. They loved being on the move, except when it rained. They didn’t enjoy walking around in muck at all, and liked to stay in one place for the whole season. Every year, the green beings got into many fights with each other over a favourite spot to spend the monsoon in. Mahogany, who was the oldest and the wisest among them, often ended up as the peacemaker in these fights.

“There, there now… You two, stop arguing. Don’t be a bad seed,” the wise old mahogany tree scolded two young plants who were squabbling over a good spot.

“But I got here first,” an orchid seedling said.

“So what? I chose this spot last week!” a slightly older Burmese grape plant argued.

The mahogany tree said sternly, “Stop it, I say! Neither of you will stay here for the monsoon. Orchid, you go to the vacant spot in the east. Burmese grape, you go to the one in the west.”

The orchid and the Burmese grape frowned, but obeyed the mahogany and moved to their newly allotted spots. Just then, the mahogany heard a familiar voice call out to...