Why Trees Have Bark
by Leila Kalmbach, 3rd grade
Once there was a tree. He was very sad. In the winter, he was cold
because he didn't have anything around him to keep him warm.
One winter, he was extra cold. He asked a chipmunk, "Can I borrow your
fur so I can be warm?" "NO!" exclaimed the chipmunk, "I need to be
warm also!"
So the tree asked a squirrel. "NO!" said the squirrel, "I need to be
warm also!" He asked a bear, monkey, tiger and wolf. The answer was no
each time.
Finally, he saw a pile of wood scraps. A dog heard him talking to
himself about it and said, "I heard you asking everybody about a coat,
and I was thinking you could put on those scraps of wood and make a
coat out of them. It wouldn't be perfect, but it wouldn't be bad."
The dog got the wood scraps for the tree. The tree put them on. He was
warm! "Thank you," said the tree, "And because of that idea, I will
call this stuff bark."
And now all trees have bark.
Leila Kalmbach is a freelance writer, editor, and proofreader located in Austin, Texas. Her in-depth understanding of evolutionary biology has continued to serve her well over the years. Look for her articles, "Why lettuce has heads" and "Why whales have pods," in an upcoming edition of Scientific American.