Students are passing by during their midday break. One stands out among many. Tall and green, its bitter leaves follow the student’s leaves. With several of his younger cousins nearby, this father tree starts off the year hopeful and happy - just like any other student. His leaves cheerfully sway back and forth in the wind. But as the months roll by, along with those B’s and C’s, the tree, like any other student, browns. 

The wind rises as the leaves rustle, and brakes as a more wise man sits near the tree in silence. He then shushes the wind by pressing his pinky to his lips. Then the wind quiets, as if it saw the man. Later, the man goes home with his son to review his students’ writings, and to write some of his own. More months roll by, and, along with the tree, the man’s masterpiece is growing. Eventually, the tree is completely bare of leaves, waiting out the months until it can regrow them. The students are also waiting and preparing for their winter break to regrow their leaves and to have fun. On the last day before break, the wise man reads his class the masterpiece he wrote about The Tree Outside. As he finishes, the students erupt into applause and the tree sighs with finality. It can start regrowing its leaves now. The tree starts to look forward to all the excitement in the later half of the school year. The wise man grins, winks, sits back, and relaxes.