A beautiful autumn afternoon had arrived. The sun, with her gentle, warm rays, bathed the flowers and plants, filling the garden with a serene tranquility.
Walnut was quietly enjoying the mesmerizing beauty of the sun when he suddenly noticed Carrot approaching him with a serious expression.
Facing Walnut, Carrot said, "Walnut! Thank goodness you're awake — I have something important to discuss with you. I've made a big decision, and I want to hear your opinion about it. Would you mind if I spoke a little about love and kindness for the plants of this garden?"
Walnut, slightly surprised by Carrot’s question, replied, "Of course not, why should there be any problem? In fact, I think it’s a wonderful idea."
Receiving Walnut’s encouragement, Carrot wasted no time. Raising his voice, he called out, "My dear friends! Attention, please! I have something important to say. Please gather around so you can hear me clearly. I must share a very important story — one full of valuable lessons and insights!"
As he was energetically calling the plants to gather, he noticed Buxus, who seemed entirely indifferent, busily fanning his leaves and paying no attention to Carrot’s calls.
Softening his voice, Carrot addressed him, "Dear Buxus, would you please join us too?"
Buxus lifted his shoulders and, with reluctance, moved toward Carrot.
When Carrot was sure that the entire garden was focused on him, he began:
"I have heard that in the neighboring garden, there once lived a most beloved and renowned tree named Avocado. They say Avocado stood a hundred meters tall, lived for five hundred years, and was the strongest tree in the world. His trunk had the shiniest wood, and his fruit was the tastiest in all existence. He was a master speaker, always able to find solutions even to the most complex problems."
He went on:
"No storm could ever sway even a single branch of his, and no rain could soak his leaves. He knew what was left unsaid and behcould see what was hidden from sight. And despite all his grandeur and beauty, he was so humble that everyone lovingly called him 'Ava.'"
Date, wide-eyed with wonder, asked, "Is that really true? How could such a thing even be possible?"
Carrot answered confidently,
"Yes, it’s possible. I am almost certain of it."
Turnip, also full of disbelief, asked, "Is it really possible for a tree to live five hundred years? And how could rain not wet his leaves?"
Carrot, brimming with excitement, responded,"Yes, it 's possible! As you know, there is a reason behind everything. The neighboring garden was far more advanced than ours. Their facilities were far superior. I have heard their gardener was much more skillful and knowledgeable than ours — and even their sun was bigger and brighter!"
As Carrot saw the garden hanging onto his every word, excitement and passion surged within him, emphasizing the marvelousness of that other garden and the miraculous nature of Avocado.
He continued: "The wonders of that garden don’t end there. I'm sure it holds even more secrets that we must uncover. Surely, their Turnips and Radishes must have been bigger and sweeter than ours, too!"
At these words, Turnip, feeling hurt and offended, frowned and stepped back a few paces.
At that moment, Date asked anxiously, "Was there a Date tree in that garden too? Was their Date more vibrant and beautiful than I am? Or more loyal to their master? No, that cannot be. I am the most loyal Date in the world!"
Crushed by the thought of a more faithful Date existing elsewhere, she fell into deep sorrow.
Meanwhile, Carrot — who had fully immersed himself in the role of a wise sage — cried out dramatically, "There are countless hidden secrets in that garden! If we truly seek the truth, we must go and discover them!"
Turnip, stroking his chin thoughtfully, said, "Indeed. If that garden holds more secrets, then we must uncover them to improve ourselves as well."
Amidst all this excitement, Carrot suddenly turned to Buxus and said, "Buxus, are you even listening to us? Or do you not care at all about uncovering the mysteries of that garden?"
Buxus, without a hint of emotion, replied, "Not at all. The topic you're discussing with such enthusiasm holds no significance for me."
Feeling disappointed, Carrot turned away from Buxus and addressed Eggplant: "What about you, Eggplant? Don’t you want to learn more about the Eggplants of that garden?"
Eggplant replied frankly, "To be honest, I can't believe a word of what you’re saying.
None of it seems real."
Carrot, growing frustrated, snapped back, "Have you even seen their garden to say it’s not real? Or are you so trapped in your narrow little world that you can’t imagine anything beyond it?"
Buxus, who until then had been silent, finally spoke:"Unfortunately, I have to agree with Eggplant. Your stories about that garden sound very strange. Personally, I’ve never seen a garden better than our own."
Carrot, even angrier now, shouted, "You’ve never seen a better garden because you’re not capable of seeing one! What do you even know about greater gardens, let alone actually seeing them?"
The argument between Carrot and the other plants grew more heated, plunging the entire garden into anger, resentment, and discord.
Walnut, who had been silent throughout all this time, reflected quietly to himself.:
"I worked so hard for so many years to nurture harmony among the plants of this garden — and now, a simple fantasy is tearing them apart. I must find a solution. I must act and do something."
Turning to Carrot, Walnut gently said, "Carrot, I remember you said you wanted to speak about love and kindness. Yet so far, you haven’t mentioned them at all."
Carrot replied, flustered, "Well... I was just getting to that! In that garden, love and harmony flowed among all the plants. That’s why no storm could shake them and no rain could wet their leaves!"
Walnut frowned slightly and asked, "Carrot, since you've never actually seen that garden, where did you get all this information?"
Carrot, proudly answered, "True, I’ve never seen it myself — but these stories were told by Master Onion to someone, and then passed on from one friend to another until they reached me."
At this, Walnut sighed deeply and said, "Enough, dear Carrot. I don’t need to hear where these stories came from. Every story has an origin somewhere."
Then he continued calmly, "You set out to speak of kindness and to draw hearts closer together, but instead you led the garden into despair with your seductive fantasies. Are you aware of the anger and division you’ve caused? You began in the name of friendship, but ended with the fruits of hostility."
Carrot, deeply ashamed, lowered his head and said softly,"I admit... I didn’t act well. But truly, my intention was to spread love."
Walnut, with a kind smile, replied, "Can love ever be born from pride?"
Carrot, surprised, asked, "Pride? But Walnut, I may have many flaws, but I am not proud. I am a very humble plant."
Walnut said, "Really? Humble? Did you not notice how much you exaggerated everything? You spun stories about things you had never seen. And the more attention you received, the more you exaggerated — didn’t you?
You even dragged Buxus into the gathering against his will just to have a full audience.
If what you said was truly meaningful and real, you wouldn’t have needed to force anyone to listen."
He added, kindly but firmly, "Do you know why, dear Carrot? Because normally, no one sees you. No one listens to you."
A powerful urge rose within Carrot to defend himself, to insist Walnut was wrong — but he found no strength to argue. Because deep down, he knew Walnut was telling the truth.
Lowering his head further, he whispered to himself, "Pride..."
Walnut continued, "When someone speaks about great and important matters, they begin to feel great and important themselves. That’s why prideful plants love to talk about big things."
Carrot, now beginning to truly understand, said softly, "I see what you mean now, Walnut."
After a thoughtful pause, he admitted, "You’re right. I exaggerated a lot. And the whole story about the other garden was just something I had heard — second- or third-hand from master Onion."
Walnut, smiled warmly and said, “Yes, I know. Even if you had heard all these words from Master Onion, and even if everything he said were true, does it really matter? Even if extraordinary events happened in our neighboring garden, or even in this very garden in the past, what significance do they have for us now, in this moment?”
Turning toward the other plants, Walnut continued, “Their fate, whether good or bad, depends on the love and kindness or hatred and malice within them. Like us and all other plants, they will face the consequences of their actions—either rewarded or punished. But why should we distract ourselves from our own state by focusing on the actions and choices of others? Are we not responsible for our own words and deeds? Today, here in this garden, we are alive and present, and we alone hold the power to shape our fate. Can we truly shape our future by dwelling on the past or worrying about others' actions?”
Turnip, a bit grumbling, asked, “So you’re saying we shouldn’t learn from the successful? Shouldn’t we know what they did to achieve success?”
Walnut replied, “I know their stories well, and I’m aware of the secrets behind their success. Over time, as I’ve spoken to you all, I’ve tried to share those lessons when the time was right. But I never said you should follow their path and become like them. If any pride or lack of understanding were to be sensed in my words, The compassion and love would have faded away from my words. For even the greatest truths, if used to belittle others, will never truly be heard. What truly makes a message resonate, even in the hardest of hearts, is the ‘power of love.’ If you cannot speak with the love of a devoted mother, sharing your wisdom with kindness, then your words will only drain your energy.”
Turnip nodded thoughtfully, “You’re right, and you’ve spoken so sweetly. So, there’s no need for anyone other than you to know their fate.”
Walnut smiled gently, “No, dear Turnip, that’s not what I mean. Sometimes, we must learn these stories, and when the time comes, we can share them. But only when your pride is absent, and your anger is not waiting to strike. The important thing is not to be the most successful among us; the key is that love flows freely between us, no matter what.”
Walnut then added, “And remember, none of us have actually seen that garden or those plants. We only know the stories told by others, and they, too, heard them from someone else. We don’t know their flaws or their struggles.”
Date asked, “So, should we go and ask Master Onion what he said about their faults?”
Walnut chuckled softly, “No, Date, that’s not what I’m suggesting. What I want to say is this: Let go of them and their fate, whether good or bad. Let’s not judge them or compete with anyone else. Let us focus all our awareness on this very moment and strive to be the best version of ourselves in our own duties and responsibilities.”
The Orange Tree, with a touch of hesitation, asked, “Shouldn’t we learn from those who came before us, so we don’t repeat their mistakes?”
As the evening darkened, Walnut prepared to retreat to his solitude. He paused for a moment after hearing the Orange Tree’s question. Then, with a deep and loving gaze, he spoke softly, “Experience has shown that all plants begin by seeking the fate of their predecessors, hoping to avoid their mistakes. But after a while, without realizing it, they repeat the same errors and find themselves trapped in the same fate. This happens because, instead of connecting to the heart—the source of the sunlight— they spend all their awareness focused on the mistakes of others. It’s far better to act in the present, connecting with our own inner light and wisdom, and striving to be the best versions of ourselves.”
