Driftwood By I.V. Mallari

I was a Kakawate tree. I grew on the bank of a river. I had been there for more years than I could remember. And my branches spread out-some of them reaching almost halfway, across the river.

Usually I was covered with green leaves. They grew in such great masses, casting such deep shadow all around, that nothing could grow under me. And when the wind blew, they rustled and danced to their own music.

Once a year I shed off my old leaves. And for a while, I became covered all over with clusters of pinkish-purple flowers. I was beautiful then, and I enjoyed watching my image on the quiet surface of the river.

It was while I was in flower that bumble bees and butterflies came to see me in great swarms. They hovered over my flowers, sucking the nectar in them. They ticked me, but I knew that they meant well. Besides, I liked their company and the strange music they made. And I also needed them. For without them, my flowers could never develop into fruit.

Birds came, too. They danced on my branches, or chased one another in the air above me. They chattered and sang all the time, as they made love to each other. They were wonderful to watch and listen to.

After their love-making, the birds paired off and set about building their nests in the crooks of my branches. Each pair worked together, and they did not stop until their nest was ready.

The nests were made of grass and small twigs, which the birds wove together into what looked like shallow baskets. But they were so strong that they did not fall off, no matter how hard the winds blew.

Soon each mother bird laid her eggs in the nest which she and her mate had build together-sometimes tow, sometimes more. Then she and her mate took turns sitting on the eggs until the eggs were hatched.

The baby birds kept their parents busy form sunrise until sunset. For they seemed to be hungry all the time-crying for food every minute of the day.

But the father bird and the mother bird did not seem to mind. For they were good parents. While one of them kept watch over the nest, ready to protect the young birds from any harm, the other went out in search of food-seeds, small insects, and worms.

This went on until the young birds were able to fly and be on the