The Tree of Life

There was once a unique tree in a faraway land. And under this tree lived a variety of inhabitants. There were the Minions, the Hoodwinks, the Suckers, the Squanderers, and the Tenacious.

The uniqueness of this tree was that it was a tree that produced the four seasons.

The Season of Spring

Winter was over and spring started emerging from the tree. It was a time of growth, renewal and of new life being born. Leaf buds started to come forth from the barren twigs and branches. The Minions obeyed their leader and enjoyed life to the fullest. They ate, drank and were merry. The Hoodwinks were hoodwinked into believing that Spring is a time to eat, drink and be merry. The Suckers too were suckered to eat, drink and be merry. The Squanderers squandered all their time away enjoying life to the fullest. It was Spring after all. What could go wrong? And the Tenacious started planting vegetation at specific locations under the tree and fortified their dwelling place.

It was mid-Spring when the weather changed drastically one night. It was during the night when the leaves of the tree started shaking violently and created a violent wind. Many of the inhabitants were blown away that night. The Minions believed and obeyed their leader that the storm would pass and they need not do anything. The Hoodwinks tried to hoodwink the Tenacious into fortifying their dwelling place for them. That failed and the Hoodwinks did not bother to do it themselves. The Suckers were suckered by the Minions that all would be well. The Squanderers squandered their time away as usual. And the Tenacious continued to strengthen their dwelling place and their vegetation plots.

And then the supercell struck. The tree started spewing out large hail, a deadly tornado, severe and heavy rain and dangerous lightning came forth from the leaves. The Suckers got sucked out of their dwelling place that night because they were stupid enough to be suckered into believing that the supercell would not be so super after all.

The Season of Summer

It was an exceedingly hot Summer that particular year and the remaining inhabitants of the tree suffered much. The scorching heat that radiated from the leaves was too much to bear. And to add insult to injury, the fruits that the tree bore were balls of fire. The Minions listened to their leader and covered their dwelling place with more mulch to keep the hot temperature down. The Hoodwinks tried to outdo the heat and hoodwink the Minions of their mulch. That failed and they couldn't be bothered to do the works themselves. The Squanderers squandered their time away having fun in the heat. And the Tenacious lathered themselves up with sun block, went to search for thick, giant sized leaves to cover their dwelling place and vegetation plots and stayed indoors when the heat was at its severest. At the end of Summer, the Hoodwinks could not hoodwink Death.

The Season of Autumn

The temperature began to drop, the leaves began to change in colour and then they all began to drop. The Minions listened to their leader and ate, drank and had their 'be merry' parties. The Squanderers squandered all their time having 'Jumping Leaf Pile' parties. The Tenacious started digging and drilling deep into the ground. They also started harvesting their crops and brought it underground to be stored. The Minions and the Squanderers scoffed at the Tenacious calling them crazy and party-poopers who did not know how to enjoy life. And then one day, the tree was completely bare.

The Season of Winter

At the first drop of snow, the Minions and Squanderers cheered and could not wait to have their snow games and parties. The Tenacious migrated underground and stayed there for the whole duration of the winter. Things were quite happening on the ground until the blizzard struck. The Minions as usual listened to their leader and believed that the blizzard would pass and all would be well. The Squanderers as usual squandered all their time away. But the blizzard came to stay. Days turned into weeks. Weeks turned into months. The Minions at first stood their ground but when their leader froze to death, they became like lost sheep. They couldn't think or function without the leader. Some ventured away from the tree to look for a safer place but died of hypothermia as a result of the severity of the cold which caused an ice fog to occur. The remaining Minions too perished as the cold was too great. Icicles grew out from the branches and fell down onto the dwelling place of the Squanderers killing them all.


The Tenacious survived underground and waited for winter to end so that they could emerge and start life all over again under the great, big Tree of Life.

Which of the inhabitants are you?