In a dense forest there grew an enchanted tree with a large hollow right at its roots, shaped like a great mysterious door. Everyone who entered the door-hollow would sink into a magical sleep. They would dream of what they wished for. And in their sleep, they would receive hints on how to achieve their dreams.
Few knew about the magical tree in the forest: a wise owl and several animals who came to her for help and advice. Among them was a she-bear who wanted to start a family, but she lived alone in the forest. The she-bear asked the wise owl for help, and the owl sent her to the tree.
The she-bear entered the hollow-door and sank into a magical sleep. She saw that she had a large family: a bear husband and five bear cubs. They ran together through green grass and hugged each other.
How wonderful that you are with me.
The bear said to the she-bear.
Just to think, if I hadn't gone to the underground lake that day, we would never have met.
The she-bear said.
Then the she-bear woke up. From such a wonderful dream, her heart felt so warm and good. The next day she set off to the lake she had seen in her dream. And she met the bear from her dream there. So the she-bear found her family.
Even earlier, a field mouse had come to the wise owl for help. In winter, her family was left without food. All their supplies, which they had gathered throughout autumn in their burrow, were destroyed by a fox when she dug up the burrow. And now the field mouse family had no food. The owl told her about the magical tree, but warned that no one should know about it.
The field mouse ran to the magical tree, bowed to it, and jumped into the hollow. The field mouse fell asleep at once and saw a magical dream. She and her family were in a large abandoned hangar filled with grain and seeds. The field mouse ran outside to see what the hangar looked like. It was green in colour, and around it were many lilac trees. And then the field mouse woke up.
The field mouse remembered that one of her sisters had once told her about an abandoned lilac garden. She ran to find this garden. And she found it. And deep within the garden stood that very green hangar, and it truly was full of grain. The field mouse was delighted and ran to fetch her family. So the field mouse successfully made it through the winter.
One day a rabbit came to the wise owl. He had lost his mother in childhood, but had always dreamed of finding her. The owl told him about the magical tree, but warned him that he must not tell anyone about it.
The rabbit set off to the place the owl had indicated. He jumped into the hollow and sank into a magical sleep. In his dream he saw himself as a small young rabbit, playing on a meadow with his brothers and sisters. Then a mother rabbit emerged from the burrow and called them home for lunch.
Mum, how I love you.
The rabbit whispered in his mother's ear.
And I love you. Remember, if you ever get lost, I will always be waiting for you in our home on this meadow.
The mother rabbit said.
And then the rabbit woke up. He knew where the meadow was that he had seen in his dream. Long ago, while running from a wolf, the rabbit had passed by this meadow. And now he set off straight there. Arriving at the meadow, the rabbit began to search for the home where his mother should be. And then he saw a mother rabbit emerging from the burrow. It was his mother. They hugged tightly.
The rabbit couldn't wait to share his joy. He forgot that the owl had forbidden him to tell anyone about the tree. The rabbit ran to the edge of the forest and began telling everyone what had happened to him. This story was heard by an evil wolf, who dreamed of having all the forest creatures obey him and bring him food.
The wolf ran to the magical tree and jumped straight into the hollow whilst running. But he did not fall asleep; quite the opposite. He became so energised that he couldn't sleep for almost 4 days. Only on the fifth day of being awake was he able to sleep, but he stopped having dreams altogether.
The magical tree had a secret. The tree helped only those who came to it for help with good intentions. And those who had evil intentions, the tree punished.
