Winter Oak
Anna Vasilyevna is teaching her students in Form 5 about nouns. She is a
gifted teacher and is proud of her skill. When the students are asked to
give examples, the class rings out with voices that name various objects
that are familiar to them. Anna Vasilyevna is very pleased but her delight
turns to irritation when she hears one lone voice cry out, “winter oak”.
This voice belongs to Savushkin, a little boy who is always late. Anna
Vasilyevna scolds him for coming late and asks him for a reason for his
lack of punctuality. He replies that he walks through the woods. Anna
Vasilyevna is convinced that he is lying and insists on meeting his mother.
That afternoon, as Savushkin takes her through the woods, she is
overcome by nature’s beauty. Then, Savushkin takes her to the tree that
inspired his answer. As she gazes upon the grand oak she realises that
there is so much about the world that remains a mystery to her. She also
understands the importance of the joy of discovering new things. She
thus learns to see Savushkin in a new light.
This story reverses the role of teacher and student to make us reconsider
what it means to learn new things. The rich, descriptive language enables
us to soak in the beauty of the forest and the oak, thus filling uswith the
same sense of wonder as the characters and allowing us to come away
with arenewed view of the world around us.
© Orient Blackswan Private Limited
