A parable, mostly true

The Golden-Leaf Tree

A story about a boy, a talking cat, and the golden seed that might just solve all his problems.

by Joe Germinario

For readers of Hope for the Flowers, Jonathan Livingston Seagull & The Wild Robot

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What the wind carries

James can't seem to try. Not at school, not at sports, not really anywhere. The grown-ups mean well — work hard, they say. Follow your heart, get through the boring parts and the rest will make sense.

None of it makes sense.

Then James hears the story of his great-grandfather: an explorer who spent his whole life looking for a golden seed. Plant it, and it just might grow into a tree with leaves of pure gold. With a tree like that, he'd never have to worry about being good at anything.

But it was just a story. James was just a kid.

Until the cat started talking, and they stepped into the wind.

On the other side of imagination, mountains tell stories. Flying isn't about having wings. And his grandmother's cat, it turns out, has plenty to say, starting with a plan: go find the seed.

Why I wrote it

This is a story about imagination — about a boy and his cat, chasing a golden seed through the wind, and the promise it holds if they ever catch it.

It's for anyone who ever wanted to follow what was in their heart, but wasn't really sure what that meant. For anyone who wants to do what they love, but doesn't believe they're good enough yet. For anyone who's been waiting for a guarantee that it'll pay off — and can't wait any longer.

— Joe Germinario

Come sit by the fire

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