The Crying Tree II Traditional Cache

THE CRYING TREE II

Once upon a time, long ago, a woman came upon a “crying tree.” She saw that the tree had been injured. White liquid teardrops dripped from a cut in the tree’s bark. Ever curious about the world around her, she collected some of the liquid and observed that it had very unique elastic properties.

Eventually, she and her fellow villagers discovered many uses for the new elastic material. They found that they could make temporary elastic shoes by dipping their feet into the liquid. By mixing it with various saps and juices of other local plants, they were able to customize the properties of the new material resulting in the development of advanced items such as water resistant clothing. They even used the material to manufacture children's toys and bouncy balls for competitive sports.

Later when the Europeans arrived, the villagers shared with them their knowledge of the crying tree and its beneficial teardrops. When samples of the elastic material first arrived in England, it was observed that the material was extremely good for rubbing out pencil marks on paper. As a result, the teardrops from the crying tree came to be known as “rubber.”

While seeking this small cache, pay your respects to the “crying tree” and celebrate the contribution made so very long ago by that resourceful woman and her fellow villagers.