All living things must die in this world, but they live on in another. This is the lesson of Hans Christian Andersen’s The Last Dream Of Old Oak. In this story an oak lives for 365 years. The oak then meets a fly, called the Ephemera that lives only for one day. “Poor little creature, only lives for one day,” the oak says. The fly is really happy enjoying life no matter how long he lives. “How can you be so happy when you have such a short life?” says old oak to himself. In the end, old oak has a vivid dream of being lifted from the ground into the light. I think this story has an amazing lesson to teach us about enjoying life because, death is not the end but a new beginning.
The tree lives a long time unlike the fly. Old oak is grateful to be in such a beautiful world but, scared to die. While the fly is less scared of dieing because, he knows he has an eternal life which, the tree doesn’t know about yet. Old oak feels that life should be filled with fear and measures life in years. The fly feels that everything is so beautiful and joyus and measures his life in moments.“Everything around me is so wonderfully bright and warm, and beautiful, that it makes me joyous.” This story is a christian story where people are represented by the oak and fly who both end up believing in eternal life.
“Eternal life is not primarily duration but quality of life, "life to the limit.”
“All who live possess eternal life, and few would trade it for an immortal body, if they truly understood what it is to be alive.”
As winter was coming, he noticed how birds were coming to him to rest before their long journey across the ocean. The oak could be seen far out at sea so sailoris would look for the oak and would know where they were. In the fall, the oak is so beautiful with it’s leaves all colorful and bright. It had no idea how many eyes looked eagerly for it. The tree has a great purpose in this world like all of us.
“But I have raised you up for this very purpose, that I might show you my power and that my name might be proclaimed in all the earth” (Exodus 9:16).
Winter was coming, and the breeze would sing to the oak good night for it was the trees 4’th century to be able to sleep. As he was sleeping, he could see butterflies chasing each other, summer flies dancing around him, and the cuckoo that would come and sing to him. Oak’s life has past before his eyes. People say that when you die you see your whole life flashing before your eyes. As oak looked down, he could see on a patch of grass a grasshopper. Beetles hummed, the birds sang, and the bees murmured. All of them had a tune of their own way , filling the air with songs and gladness. “Where is the little blue flower, and the wild apple-tree with its lovely blossoms, and all the glory of the wood, which has flourished year after year?” asked the oak. “We are here we are here” said whispers to the oak. “Why this is beautiful, too beautiful to be believed,” said the oak in a joyful tone. “I have them all here, both great and small; not one has been forgotten. Can such happiness be imagined?” It seemed almost impossible.
“When you are with the Eternal God in heaven it can be imagined, and it is possible,” sounded the reply through the air.
Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life. He does not come into judgment, but has passed from death to life.
John 5-24
As he grew taller and taller his roots were being pulled up from the ground. The tree was being pulled to heaven. Actually, the tree was being uprooted by a terrible storm, yet to the tree, it was a very different experience. The tree learned that when he dies he will keep living on and on with an eternal life. Life is to beautiful to believe all is here nothing is forgotten so much happiness can be imagined
In the end, the story is not about a fly and a tree. It’s about people. It teaches us that god has a purpose and a path for all of us to be in the world. The tree learned that when he dies he will keep living on and on for eternity.
Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live:
John 11-25
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