Joseph liked to climb trees. It was the thing he liked doing the most and the thing he was the best at.

Joseph also liked being small. That was something that no one else could understand about him. When his Aunts came to visit, they would pick him up and say “How big you are getting!” and Joseph would frown. When they said he must be looking forward to growing taller, he shook his head, sure that he would rather stay this size forever.

He liked being small because it let him climb trees better than any of the other kids. Especially here, in his own back yard, he was the King of Trees. His hands reached up becoming a foot pushing off a branch grabbing higher wrapping around the bark looking up and up getting higher until –
The tree stopped. And so, Joseph stopped.

Joseph liked to climb trees, but what he liked even more being at the very top. He would hang on tight and just sway with the the wind. It made him feel like he was a tree.

Last year, Joseph fell and hurt his leg. He hurt it so bad, he had to stop climbing trees all Summer. Joseph didn’t like that. He felt sad a lot. His Mom gave him ice cream and watched movies with him and played games and it made him happy, but he still just wanted to climb trees again. When his leg got better and he started climbing again, he felt more like himself.

Joseph stayed up on that branch a long time, just hanging on tight. When he looked around, he saw that on the tree next to his, there was a little girl about his age. She was hanging on to the highest branch of her tree, just he like he was hanging on to the highest branch of his.

“Hi,” said Joseph.

The girl didn’t say anything.

“These are my trees,” Joseph said, but he felt bad after he said it because he thought it sounded mean and he didn’t mean to sound that way. He quickly added, “but you can climb them too if you want.”

“Thanks,” said the little girl.

It was then that Joseph noticed that the little girl had scratches on her arms. “Where did you get those scratches?” He asked.

“Fell down,” said the girl.

“I fell down too. I had to stop climbing trees for a while. I didn’t like it.”

“Yeah.”

“Joseph! Supper!” Joseph’s mother called from inside the kitchen.

“I have to go.”

“Bye.” The girl waved a little.

Joseph started to climb back down, but he stopped. “Do you want to eat supper here?” he asked.

“Okay,” she said.

Joseph and the little girl started to climb back down. As he climbed down, Joseph watched the little girl through the branches. He had to look where he put his hands and feet, but he still tried to watch the girl as he climbed down.

The lowest branch was higher off the ground than Joseph was tall, so when he got to it, he had to dangle from it and drop, being careful not to hurt himself. When he landed, he looked over and waited for the girl to drop to the ground too.

He waited.

And waited.

And nothing happened. The girl didn’t appear.

Joseph walked over under her tree and looked up. It was empty. There was nothing in the tree but branches and bits of sky peeking through.

“Joseph! Supper! Hurry up!” his mother called again.

Joseph stood there a moment, then turned and went inside.