The Olive Tree

Calliope had never known heartbreak, but she’d seen enough of it to become familiar.

She understood the look of longing in her mother’s eye when her father was away. She knew the wishes of the housemaid, Alyona, when the farmer’s son stopped by to deliver milk. And Calliope saw the way the farmer’s son flitted from feeling to feeling, sighing over almost any passerby. It seemed to her that most people sought out some sort of tenderness. Calliope didn’t really understand their discontentment, as she felt well loved by the sun, the stars, and the birds that sang in the garden each morning.

On days when her own heart felt too big in her chest, she had learned how to cradle it herself.

It was on one such day that Calliope met the Sparrow. As she sat in the garden, cradling her own heart, the trill of a curious voice called out.

  “Little girl,” said the Sparrow, “Why is it that you hold your heart in your hands?”

Calliope’s eyes searched the olive branches but saw nothing.

  “Who’s speaking?” She asked.

  A small bird landed before her and hopped up on her knee. “I am,” said the bird.

  “A sparrow?” Calliope asked.

  “You know my name,” the Sparrow said, “What’s yours?”

  “Calliope,” the girl answered, “I live in the big house over there, with my mother and the other housekeepers.”

“I live in this olive tree,” the Sparrow said, “At least for now.”

  Calliope decided it was best to put her heart away and speak to her new friend. The bird watched her curiously as she set herself right. It was an easy thing for her. Calliope simply had to close her eyes, take a deep breath in, and swallow her heart right back down. Then she was whole again.

  “What were you doing just now?” The Sparrow asked, “Don’t you know it’s dangerous to have a heart held out in the open? Especially one so big? It was almost the size of your own self!”

“I was just quieting it down,” Calliope answered, “I made the cook fuss this morning. He scolded me for not scrubbing the dishes clean enough. It set him back in his work. And then I made a mistake again by not locking the fence right and upset Alyona. Everything started to feel too big. So I just needed a moment.”

“Well,” said the Sparrow, “That does explain things. But I would caution you to find a more secret place. People who carry their hearts around like that often get themselves into trouble. I’ve seen it all on my travels.”

  “Have you traveled far?” Calliope asked.

  “Oh, yes,” the Sparrow answered, “I’m a very wise and old bird. I’ve flown across the Mediterranean and back again.”

  Calliope was embarrassed to not know what the Mediterranean was but nodded. “It must be a beautiful country.”

  The Sparrow knew it was a sea, but didn’t correct the child. “It’s lovely.”

“I’ve never heard a Sparrow talk before,” Calliope said. “It was very nice to meet you. But I’ll have to get back. My mother is expecting me to help her in the front yard today.” Calliope started away, but the little bird followed her and alighted on her shoulder.

“I should like to come with you,” said the Sparrow, “I’m curious to see how someone with such a big heart spends her day.”

  “That’s alright with me,” Calliope decided, “As long as you don’t scare anyone by speaking. I think the adults would be frightened. They get jumpy about silly things.”

  The Sparrow agreed, promising to only tweet as any bird would. On their day together, the Sparrow saw the kind of person that Calliope was. Being so young, Calliope was trusting and worked earnestly. She was obedient on the most part, and only got into the curious kind of mischief. The Sparrow had to hold back a human-like laugh when she tried to hide a broken piece of pottery in a bush. It was discovered seconds later by the gardener, who was less amused than the bird had been. The Sparrow took a liking to the girl.

  At the day’s end, the bird told Calliope a secret. “Calliope,” said the Sparrow, “I am impressed with you, and I’d like to show you a good turn. The olive tree in which I live was blessed long ago. If you eat an olive leaf, it will grant a wish. I have used this blessing for myself three times. Once, to learn to speak the language of humans. Twice, to live as long as I am happy. And a third time to be able to fly long distances without ever needing to rest. If you eat the leaves from this tree, you too will get your wishes granted.”

  This idea excited Calliope, who was curious to try. She told the Sparrow she would stop by the next morning. True to her word, the girl and the bird met by the olive tree.

  “Do you know what your wish will be?” Asked the Sparrow.

  “Yes,” Calliope said, “There was a cake made with orange and lemon last winter. I wasn’t allowed to have any. And I want to know what it tastes like. So I am going to wish for the cake.”

  The Sparrow flew a loop in the sky to keep from laughing, chirping out, “Alright, if that’s what you’d like! Go ahead.”

  Calliope carefully picked a leaf from the tree. She was a bit uncertain. Sticking the leaf in her mouth, it was bitter and not at all pleasant. But she swallowed whole and made her wish. Nothing happened.

“I don’t see any cake,” Calliope said.

“Oh, it’ll come,” the Sparrow replied.

  Calliope wondered if the bird was playing a joke on her. If so, it was a mean trick to make her eat a leaf.

  “I don’t have time to wait here,” Calliope said. She tried and failed to hide the disappointment in her voice. “If a magic cake appears, you go ahead and have it.”

  What a silly girl she was. To think a cake would just appear. It served her right for taking the advice of a bird.

  When Calliope came into the kitchen, she was stopped by the cook.

  “Calliope,” he said, “I’m glad you’re here, I’ve been looking for you. Yesterday, I was hard on you about the dishes. I know you tried your best. It wasn’t right of me to shout at you. Just be more careful in the future.”

  “Thank you,” Calliope said. She was surprised. And she thought she saw a bit of the cook’s heart peeking out from his eyes.

  “I made you a small bit of cake,” the cook said with a wink, “Gobble it all up before your mother finds it.”

Sure enough, the cook had made a small lemon and orange cake. The olive leaf wish had worked! Calliope was absolutely giddy and gobbled the cake right up. The cook, who was very proud of his work, beamed. To think such a small cake had elated Calliope so. Of course, he didn’t know that Calliope’s celebration was one of discovering the magic had worked as well as enjoying a fine cake.

  All day long, Calliope could hardly focus on her chores. What could she wish for next? Maybe if she wished her father back home, her mother wouldn’t be so lonely. Or, if she wished it, the farmer’s son might notice Alyona and then neither of them would sigh so much.

  That night, she went to visit the Sparrow in the garden. “Sparrow!” Calliope called, “Sparrow, my wish worked! The tree really is magic!”

  The Sparrow, who had been humming to himself in his nest, flew in figure eights and burst into song.

  Calliope had never heard such a merry tune.

The Sparrow sang out:             

“I’ve seen light in the darkness,                    I believe in love that lasts

I listen to stars, they carry me far,

As the wind whispers words from the past

If you hold your heart in your hand

There’s no need to worry, I’ll understand

So take time to breathe and you will see

Just how lovely life can be!”

“What a pretty song,” Calliope said.

  The Sparrow’s eyes beamed and he landed on a low hanging branch, “Thank you, I learned it from a mermaid, years and years ago.”

  “You’ve met a mermaid?” Calliope asked.

  “More than one,” the Sparrow said. “But you are still only a child, and there is plenty of time for adventure. Did you enjoy your cake?”

  Calliope excitedly told the Sparrow everything- of how the cook was kind to her and how the cake was the softest thing she had ever tasted.

  “What are you going to wish for next?” The Sparrow asked.

  Calliope wasn’t sure. She told her friend about her mother’s loneliness, and about how Alyona was in love with the farmer’s son. She wanted to help them both. The bird advised her to swallow two olive leaves and make her wishes. Calliope obeyed, thanking the Sparrow for his help. She hummed his happy song as she walked back to the house.

That night, she dreamed of riding the Sparrow’s back as they flew above a great river full of mermaids.

The next day, Calliope was delighted to wake up and find her parents together. Her father, who had been away for many months, had returned home unexpectedly late in the night. He’d done so well on his journey that the master of the house promoted him to an advising position. This meant that he would be home to stay. Calliope’s mother was so happy that she wept for joy.

Calliope, too, was comforted that her family was together again.

  Alyona, suddenly struck with a bout of courage, told the farmer’s son how she felt. The farmer’s son, surprised and charmed, was quick to reciprocate. They both still sighed a lot, but it was a happy sigh. Calliope was glad for them. Now that she knew of the olive tree’s blessing, she was eager to share its magic. There could only be peace and contentment.

  For three years, Calliope used the tree’s gift to help everyone she knew. People began to say there was some spell of good luck about Calliope. Whenever she was around, things always seemed to be a bit brighter. The Sparrow was happy with her work and liked to tell her stories of his past. The two became very close and he often kept watch over her.

  Calliope’s good fortune, however, wasn’t celebrated by everyone. The gardener, a grumpy old man, grew annoyed with her luck. He was jealous of how happy Calliope’s family was working together. His own sons had left him to see other parts of the world and he had suffered many disappointments in life. His annoyance grew to bitterness. He was especially hard on Calliope when they worked together. She could tell the gardener was often upset, but no wish she made seemed to cheer him. One day, as Calliope and the gardener weeded the irises, the girl cut her finger on a sharp rock. She began to cry and he scolded her.

“It’s your own fault for not minding yourself,” the gardener complained, “Go inside and bandage it up.”

  Calliope apologized and returned with a mind to work. But the gardener was so unkind to her that it set her nerves on edge and she made all sorts of silly mistakes. Her clumsiness did nothing to improve the gardener’s mood. He became so cross that Calliope didn’t know what to do.

  “If you could have one wish,” Calliope asked, “What would it be?”

  “For you to do your job well,” the gardener snapped. Calliope tried to hide her hurt. She wanted to help the gardener, but didn’t know how to.

  “If you come with me,” Calliope said, “I can show you an olive tree that will grant you any wish.”

  And she told him everything, of her friendship with the Sparrow and how she had been using the tree’s magic to help others.

  “But I don’t know you well enough to know what to wish for,” Calliope explained, “And so I think you should wish for yourself.”

  The gardener was a man of superstition and felt intrigued by Calliope’s story. He followed her to the olive tree. The Sparrow, who had just returned from his own adventure, watched warily. Calliope instructed the gardener to eat an olive leaf and make his wish. With nothing to lose, the gardener wished that his garden tools were made of gold. Surprized when the magic worked, the gardener’s joy immediately turned to greed. The gardener thanked Calliope and told her she had made him very happy.

  That night, the Sparrow flew to Calliope’s bedroom window. “Calliope,” he called, “Calliope, I’m worried about the gardener.”

  Calliope felt uneasy too. “I’m sorry, Sparrow,” she said, “I only thought the olive tree might help him. If he can wish for himself, I think he will be content.”

  The Sparrow hopped around her windowsill, agitated. His black eyes blinked and he twittered to himself in the language of birds. Calliope gently pet his head with her fingertips.

  “Calliope, I told you about the tree’s blessing after seeing your heart. This is a person who’s heart I’ve never seen, not even after living in a garden he’s tended for long before you were born.”

  “My mother says he has lived a hard life,” Calliope said. “Shouldn’t we show him a kind turn?”

  “Maybe you’re right,” the Sparrow replied, “But I’ll be watching him closely. There are plenty of people who live hard lives without treating others bitterly.”

The next morning, Calliope woke up to find that she had overslept. Golden sunlight filtered in through the window in an afternoon haze. She quickly dressed herself in day clothes and made her way out to the garden in search of her parents. When Calliope stepped outside, she was greeted with the most enchanting sight. The entire garden had transformed overnight.

  Every plant was in bloom. Birdsong filled the air. Flowers of every shape and size were woven through the grass in a tapestry of color. Sweet scents of fruits from the grove drifted in the wind. Strawberries grew and apples red as rubies hung low on the tree branches. Leaves glimmered in sunlight and everything seemed to have a soft glow. The water from the stone fountain laughed as it fell into the pond, reflecting the clearest blue sky. The small fish that swam there had orange scales bright as flames. They darted about, creating a streak of color in the water that was entrancing to watch.

  For a moment, she was so taken in by the sight of it all that Calliope didn’t know where to focus. Her eyes darted from each golden second to the next. The garden seemed to be made of time. She felt that she needed to be nowhere and was incredibly present.

  Calliope laughed in delight. This must have been the gardener’s wish! What a beautiful imagination he had. She had to find the Sparrow so they could explore together. Calliope tried to call out to him, but no sound escaped her lips.

  Sparrow, she tried to say again.

  Her mouth moved wordlessly.

  There was a tightness in her throat now.

  Calliope tried to shout.

  Nothing.

  She tried to scream.

  No sound.

  In distress, Calliope’s eyes searched the tree branches. She saw a sparrow watching her from one of the trees. He had been tweeting like any old bird, so she hadn’t taken notice of him. Her heart ached and nearly lept out of her chest.

  Sparrow! Calliope thought.

Her friend flew to meet her and landed beside her as she sat on the stone steps that led deeper into the garden’s path. Neither of them could speak. Calliope felt a panic set in. They’d lost their voices by magic, so it must’ve been because the gardener wished for it. This was her fault.

  “Don’t look so upset, Calliope,” the gardener said.

  Calliope jumped. She hadn’t seen him coming.

  “You startled me,” she gasped. Calliope was surprised to hear the sound of her voice.

  The gardener laughed at her confused expression.

  “Your voice isn’t gone,” he explained, “Neither of you can speak unless I speak to you first. Talking to each other is out of the question. And this way, you can’t cause me any trouble. That olive tree has given more to me in a day than it has in years of your care. I didn’t understand why you were always so carefree. Or why your family never seemed to face any hardship. Everyone around you, from the master of the house to the scullery maid, treats you well. Now I understand why. You’ve been selfish to use the tree for your own luck. You have granted the small wants of your friends and family, earning their grace and good standing.”

  Calliope felt her stomach twist in a strange combination of anger and guilt. She wasn’t granting wishes to be liked. She’d only done what she could to make those she loved happy...had she been foolish to not use the tree’s magic for something greater?

  The gardener smiled. “With my mind at work, I’ll be able to use the olive tree’s magic to make a true difference.”

  “What kind of difference?” Calliope asked. “Isn’t this beautiful garden enough?”

  “It is a lovely start,” the gardener agreed, “But there can be more. Once I wish my sons to return to me, my family will be whole again. I’ll share the tree with them. They’ll want for nothing. Together, we could create a garden that overtakes everything. There will be no more nonsense in the world. All will be designed as it should be, perfectly in place. No uncertainty. No worry. No more mistakes.”

  “Where are my parents?” Calliope asked, “And Alyona? I haven’t seen anyone else today.”

  “They don’t need to tend to their chores,” the gardener said, “The work does itself. I expect they’re enjoying the view, as you should do too. Thank you for telling me about the olive tree. I don’t blame you for being selfish in the way you’ve wasted its blessing. It’s only for the best that you and that bird stay silent. You won’t be able to tell anyone.”

  The panic was overtaking Calliope now. Her heart beat fast and heavy. She coughed it up before she could think to do so. Breathing deep, she closed her eyes and tried to quiet it down.

  The Sparrow and the gardener both watched with wide eyes.

  “It’s larger than I thought,” the gardener muttered.

  Before Calliope could put her heart back in place, the gardener spoke to her.

  “Leave it here,” he commanded, “It’s weighing you down. I’ve never seen so much distress in a person.”

  “I don’t- I mean, I can’t,” Calliope was mincing her words. She became frustrated, but collected herself as quickly as she could. “I don’t think it weighs me down,” Calliope continued, “If I become distressed, it is because something is wrong. I don’t think I should live without it.”

  The gardener shrugged. “If you say so. I have too  much to do. Feel free to explore the garden, but stay away from the olive grove. The tree is guarded by the statue of the lion. It wouldn’t be a fair fight.”

  The Sparrow let out a whistling call, flying at the gardener’s face and scratching with his feet. The gardener held his hands up to cover his eyes and swatted at the bird, missing and cursing.

  “You’re lucky I didn’t wish away your brains,” he shouted, “Clawing at me won’t change anything.”

  With that, the gardener left. Calliope started to cry as she watched him go. The Sparrow was flying above her in distraught loops. Her tears were angry at first. Calliope’s heart sat where it had fallen, beating tensely. What right did the gardener have to take away her voice? To take away the Sparrow’s speech? He could’ve continued making wishes without robbing her and the Sparrow of their words. She looked at her heart and for the first time she wondered if it was truly more of a hurt than a help. Then her tears became sad.

  The longer she thought about it, the less she felt able to move. It seemed to her that all the world was a swirling storm. She was stuck, heavy and hollow, without care for the wind that blew tangles in her hair.

The Sparrow twittered a tune. Calliope could barely hear his song in the loudness of the quiet.

Why should she care if the gardener only used olive leaf wishes for himself?

  Hadn’t she done the same thing?

Maybe things would be better if he used the tree’s magic.

  A world of enchanted peace and quiet.

Calliope had only used the magic leaves to grant small wishes and make others happy.

Why should she care about anyone’s happiness if the joy never stayed?

It might be better to do nothing at all.

At least that way, she’d be sure not to make a mistake.

The gardener was going to make a world with no mistakes.

  Calliope sat on the steps of the garden path in stillness. She wanted nothing. As she closed her eyes to sleep, her ear caught hold of a strange sound. The twittering of the Sparrow’s song was low at first, but grew steadily. He could no longer share the words. Calliope felt their echo. The Sparrow, still flying above her, was singing his merry tune. Calliope felt herself smile. It was the song she’d loved so much when they’d met. Things seemed softer back then. The Sparrow was trying to cheer her up. There was a tugging in her chest. She had almost forgotten that she wasn’t alone. If she held her heart in her hand, Calliope knew her friend would understand.

  Thank you, she thought.

  Calliope looked back at her heart where it laid on the ground. It was still big and beating. She would carry it more carefully. Perhaps that was what the Sparrow had meant when he had warned her to find a more secret place if she needed a moment of calm. It was dangerous to let her heart leap out. With renewed spirit, Calliope picked her heart back up and made herself whole once more. She wiped away her tears and held out her hand to the Sparrow, who landed in her palm. Calliope didn’t know how they were going to do it, but they would have to get past the lion. Once they reached the tree and could wish their voices back, she’d be able to figure out the next step.

  Calliope nodded to the Sparrow and he nodded back.

  Together, she and the bird went to the olive grove.

When they arrived, Calliope saw that the stone base of the lion statue was empty. Instead, the lion stood at the base of the olive tree where the Sparrow had lived. His stance was firm and proud.

  Each step he took as he paced the earth dug at the ground. The weight of stone held the lion together in spite of his weatherworn cracks. A low growl hummed from his mouth and rattled like gravel. Calliope met her friend’s eye nervously. He flew a small circle around her once, flapped his wings in a waving motion, and quickly darted at the lion.

  The beastly statue clamored to swipe at the bird, nearly catching him by the tail feather. The Sparrow held the lion’s gaze and flew upwards. Standing on two legs, the stone lion’s back paws sank into the earth as he snapped at the Sparrow. The little bird was up too high for him to reach. With continued luck, the Sparrow snatched an olive leaf and swallowed it whole.

“Calliope!” The Sparrow called. A fullness in her lungs let Calliope know that her speech had returned, too.

The lion had put his weighty paw on the bark of the tree. He looked set to pounce.

  “I can lead him away,” the Sparrow cried as he dodged the lion’s snapping teeth, “Wish the tree’s magic to come to an end!”

  As the Sparrow led the statue from the tree, Calliope quickly and quietly ran to reach for an olive branch. She grabbed a fistfull of leaves and swallowed them all. Without thought, she wished with all of her heart.

  “I wish the tree was a normal olive tree,” Calliope said, “I wish everything was ordinary again!”

  A soft, cool wind blew over the garden. The setting sun flashed once. The birdsong that had filled the air became a frantic cry before quieting into a subdued set of infrequent chirps. Cricket music replaced the rythm. The statue lion’s movements became solid and slow. He let out a stiff yawn before curling up on his stone slate, hardening back into silence.

Calliope laughed.

“Sparrow!” she called out, “You were wonderful, thank you! Everything is alright now. Nothing like this will ever happen again.”

The Sparrow flew to meet her. Calliope was startled to see the Sparrow was weeping.

  “Sparrow,” she asked, “What’s wrong? My last wish worked, didn’t it? The tree isn’t magic anymore?”

  “It worked, Calliope,” the Sparrow said between tears. “But I have failed. The Earth has lost a beautiful gift. Long ago, when this tree was blessed, it was my task to find someone to trust the secret to. I took my job seriously, I traveled far searching for a big hearted person. But every big hearted person I met suffered terrible misfortune. And more often than not, their hearts became smaller as time wore on. I thought I would never find someone to share this tree with. Someone kind enough to only ever use it for goodwill. With the tree’s end to the magic, it is the end of all that could have been.”

  “I don’t understand,” Calliope said. “Why didn’t you just use the tree yourself?”

  “I have only the heart of a bird,” the Sparrow said, “My own heart is small by nature. I’m sure I would’ve become greedy.” The Sparrow’s tears were bigger now, streaming down and soaking the feathers on his belly.

  “But that isn’t true at all,” Calliope said. “I’ve seen your kindness, Sparrow. You have a magnificent heart.”

  “You’ve seen only what I’ve shown you,” the Sparrow said, “It’s easy to be kind to a person you care about.”

  This made Calliope angry. “The kindness was still yours to share. I don’t think you see yourself clearly at all, Sparrow. And I don’t think you should’ve felt responsible for the tree all by yourself. I hope you know that you have a very good heart. Your kindness doesn’t need to be measured, anyhow. You’ve given more than you know.”

  At this, this Sparrow let out a contented sigh. “I am glad to have met you, Calliope.” Shakily, the sparrow tried to fly up into the tree’s branches. He failed and fell back to the ground. His once golden brown feathers were turning a dusty gray. Suddenly, Calliope understood that wishing the tree’s magic away had undone all of its wonders.

  “Sparrow,” Calliope cried, “Please don’t go. I’m so sorry, it is my fault that you’ve become sad. You wished to live as long as you were happy. And now the tree’s spell is broken because of me.”

  The Sparrow’s eyes smiled. “You’re such a silly girl. I’ve lived long enough.” His voice was getting quieter, it was hard to make out. “And I’m ready to say goodbye. If it’s too hard for you to watch, you should leave me here beneath the tree. I will be dust in the morning.”

  Calliope didn’t say anything, but stayed holding the bird until she fell asleep. When she woke up, she was alone in the garden. Her hands were empty. She felt sick to her stomach and missed her friend.

  Maybe she should shrink her heart down to the size of a pebble and keep it guarded safely in a pouch. Then she wouldn’t be feeling so much hurt. Calliope had seen her mother, when dealing with an unkind person, gulp her own heart down to the size of a hardened fig. Her mother’s heart had its own special knack for growing back big again once the trouble had passed. But shrinking her heart down was something Calliope just couldn’t do.

  The olive tree, now stripped bare, had lost all magic.

  This was for the best.

  The gardener, seeing his creation lost, left without notice or goodbye.

  Calliope kept her heart at its true size.

  As she got older, she decided not to hide it the way some people do. She never forgot her dear friend the Sparrow. And on days when her heart felt too big in her chest, or at times when she missed the Sparrow very much, Calliope would hum his merry tune.