Jay Wazznit and his friend Pecan met early one morning in spring. "Where are you going?" asked Pecan, when he saw Jay had on his best walking shoes and was carrying a lunch bag over his shoulder. "I'm off to find the Easter Tree," said Jay. "The Easter Tree? I never heard of that before," exclaimed Pecan, what is it? Is it like a Christmas Tree?" "I'm not sure." Replied Jay." I have never seen one, but somehow I don't think it will look like a Christmas Tree, as Christmas Trees are full and green and beautiful, because they are for the time when Jesus was born as a little baby. They celebrate birth. Easter is when Jesus died, so I think the Easter Tree would look sad and dead, but I really don't know." "Can I come with you?" asked Pecan. "I would like to see the Easter Tree too." "Okay!" said Jay. "But you had better tell your Mom, because we will be gone until late afternoon."

So after getting permission from his Mom and a little extra lunch, Pecan joined Jay and the two of them headed down the road, out of town and into the country. After walking a couple of kilometers, they saw a clump of trees off to the left in the middle of a pasture, where some cattle were grazing. "Let's run across the field." Said Pecan. But just then a large bull saw them by the fence, and swished his tail and snorted. Jay said, "No. I don't think the cows want us walking on their grass. Maybe we had better go on a bit farther." 

A little further down the country road they came to a pasture with some sheep in it. Jay said, "I think we can get over to that clump of trees through here. Those sheep look much more friendly than the cows did." So they ran across the field through the small flock of sheep and up to the grove of trees. "I'll bet the Easter Tree is in there." Said Pecan. "Let's go see it." Into the trees the two friends went, and as they walked they looked at every tree. Most of them looked fresh and cheery as the bark was damp and shiny from the fresh sap running through them. Tiny new leaves were budding out at the tips of the branches, making them look full and green. After wandering through the grove they came back to the edge and sat down. As they were hungry, they decided it would be a good time to eat their lunch. Besides, they could also watch the sheep in the pasture and laugh at the new born lambs as they awkwardly ran and jumped and stumbled, playing games of chase with one another.

Munching on a sandwich, Pecan said, "Jay, I don't think we are going to find any sad old Easter Tree here. Everything is green and growing. Not old and dying." "I think you are right." Said Jay, "Everything in this grove is like this little tree here that is just starting to grow. See, it is only a foot high, and as thin as my finger, but look how shiny and green all the new leaves are." "Hey! This is funny." Said Pecan. "Look; the little tree is growing out of the stump of this old tree that has rotted and fallen to the ground." "You're right." Said Jay. "It looks like the old tree must have protected it all winter, and now is feeding it so it can grow strong and healthy. It's as if the old one died so that the new one could live. Do you think this could be the Easter Tree?" "Which one, the old dead one or the new live one?" Asked Pecan. Both." Said Jay, "because like Jesus, it has died and come to life again."

When the two boys got back to town they said goodbye, and went to their homes. Pecan's mother asked him what they did. "Oh nothing much," He replied. "We just went down the lane and found the Easter Tree. That's all."

The moral of the story is: The secret of life is that there is no death.