Once upon a time there was a little elf who lived in the Blue Forest, whose name was Taito. It was called the Blue Forest because of the colour of the leaves of the Kinso trees, which soared high into the sky there, blending in with the azure vault dappled with clouds, driven like fluffy lambs by the blowing winds. The Kinso trees’ long leaves could only be distinguished from the sky by the dark blue veins running through them like a pulsating living lattice. In those veins flowed the Kinso tree’s sap, which provided the most delectable nourishment of the entire forest.

The elves, who were the Kinso trees’ guardians and protectors, worked night and day taking care of those plants. They were also crazy about the sap, which they considered a precious nectar. Often, on nights with a full moon before feast days, they would tap a few demijohns of the ambrosia for toasts during their banquets.

The elves had great respect for nature and considered the Kinso trees sacred, so they kept them clean and splendent, making sure the trees had all the nourishment they needed and that they got plenty of sun so they would grow tall and strong! There was so much to do that every day the elves would get to work at sun rise. They had to bring water to the roots and to do this it was necessary to dig new tunnels every day because the roots grew deeper and deeper. Then they had to polish the tree’s trunk and clean away the moss and fungi. They also had to care for the buds where the new leaves would sprout. However, one of the most coveted tasks was to massage the finest top branches near the azure vault and polish the leaves in the sunlight.

Taito would have loved to go to the top of the trees to care for them and walk on the blue leaves in the sunlight, but he couldn't... Unlike the other elves who had two pairs of fairy wings, he was born with no wings at all. While the other elves were able to soar through the air, beating their glossy little wings that glinted with silver sparkles in the sunlight, to be carried up and up by the ascending currents, Taito had to stay down low on the ground, all by himself, walking among the roots and the leaves that had fallen into the undergrowth. He felt so distant from the azure vaults where the others would play tag with one another in the air and then lay down to rest on the broad upper leaves of the Kinso trees.

Taito felt utterly alone. He had no friends. The other elves would mock him by calling him “ant” or “no-wings”. During the days when he was saddest, he would walk through the forest aimlessly, wondering why all the other little elves were so mean to him. After all, it was not his fault that he was born without wings! Not being able to do mid-air somersaults, Taito found different pastimes: he would run with the ants, racing around trees on tracks made of fallen branches and hollow trunks, he would spend his evenings singing with the cicadas in the moonlight under the sky full of stars and he enjoyed building everything he could imagine using twigs, leaves and stones.

Every so often he would climb one of the bushes growing in the underwood, take a leaf and, holding its ends in his hands, jump into the void using it as a parachute. The flights were short, he would land on the ground after just a few seconds. Then, however, he found a leaf with just the perfect shape that would pick up the gentle air currents, which from time to time blew through the undergrowth and which would allow him to glide far away. That way he was able to get an idea of what it was like to fly. Of course, it wasn't quite the same thing, but it was as close as he could get.

It was while he was climbing one of these bushes, to parachute with his special leaf, when the idea came to him that he could build a system of ladders that would allow him to climb the trees! Jumping from the bush and gliding, thanks to the leaf he was holding in his hands, with the cool air passing over his face like a soft caress, he complemented himself on the new-found idea that he had just come up with.

Since it was spring, it was the perfect season to start building his project. When he reached the ground, he set to work immediately. He knew that it wouldn't be easy and that it would take a lot of time. But he also knew he could do it! He gathered up large quantities of sticks and boughs and he piled the fallen leaves one on top of the other until they formed the biggest heap he had ever seen.

First, he pulled the fibres out of the leaves and twined them together into strong cords. Then, he used the cords to tie the twigs together to form a ladder, which he leaned against the trunk of one of the trees. He fixed the ladder using stakes to keep it from shifting. He continued to make the ladder taller and taller.

The other young elves, intrigued by his work, watched him mockingly. “The little ant wants to climb up the big tree,” they said. All the while adding other derisive comments, such as that he should forget about it and that he would never make it and that he was not born to fly like they were and so, he should just stay down on the ground where he belonged. But Taito did not listen to their jeering. Taito did not give up.

As the months passed his constructions grew taller and more elaborate. As spring came to an end and gradually gave way to the summer heat, Taito managed to reach the first thicker and stronger branches of the Kinso tree. At that point he built himself a little fort where he could play and from where he could jump from far, far higher with his parachute leaf than he was able to from the top of the tallest bush, which made it much more fun! Nevertheless, that wasn't enough to satisfy Taito. During the summer he kept building until, before the forest leaves took on their autumn colours, he had reached the highest limbs, connecting to each branch.

The other elves, seeing his construction work completed, stopped telling him that he would never be able to build that complex network of stairs, bridges, passageways and forts. But they still wouldn't let Taito play with them. They continued to treat him with contempt by calling him “Earthy” the earthbound elf. They would say that all his work was useless because they were already up there taking care of the Kinso trees’ highest branches and foliage. They never failed to remind him that they could fly and easily reach even the topmost leaves of the most towering tree. They told him that he had better return to the ground before he fell and got hurt. They repeated that he was not fit to look after the tall trees and that he ought to go back to pampering the newborn plants and shoots.

Taito had hoped that he would be accepted as a friend among the elves. He was so very disappointed when he heard all those unkind words. Regardless, he decided to concentrate on the positive aspects of the situation such as, now he was able to climb up the tree! Then, thanks to his parachute-leaf, he could also fly through the air from branch to branch of the other trees at a speed he never thought possible. He would feel the wind on his face and with his mouth open, let his tongue hang out, relishing his gliding flight.

What made him happiest was that he could finally care for the long, broad leaves of the Kinso tree. Of course, pampering the shoots of the newborn trees was wonderful, but when he climbed up onto one of the top leaves for the first time in his life, he was left transfixed. The colour of the leaf was so intense he felt as if he was walking on the surface of a lake, whilst under the surface he was able to see the dark blue lattice where the sweet fluid flowed.

Then the summer came to an end and the leaves of the forest trees changed colour from green to different shades of red, yellow and orange. Only the leaves of the Kinso trees remained the same blue colour. In autumn many leaves fell from the trees and Taito was flooded with new coloured construction materials, which he used to decorate his forts.

Then, one autumn afternoon, a storm blew in.

The sky filled with black clouds heavy with rain turning everything dark as if night had fallen. The winds rose and howled so loudly that it sounded like a multitude of wolves. Then the rain started to fall, slowly at first, then harder and louder, hitting the trees and leaves and making a deafening noise. The elves could not fly in the storm because the wind would blow them away to who knows where. So, they did what they would normally do on rainy days, when caught by the strong wind while caring for a Kinso tree: they took refuge under its wide leaves and waited for the storm to end. Taito was there among them, at the top where he had climbed that day using his ladder system. This was the first time in his life that he had to shelter from a storm up there. He was cold and frightened, but like the other elves said, all he had to do was wait for the storm to pass.

However, this time was different and just waiting wouldn’t do.

Lightning struck the Kinso tree, starting a fire.

The elves screamed in terror as the flames grew red and hot.

Not being able to fly away, the elves were trapped.

Taito felt his little heart beating so hard that it seemed that it might bust but he had an idea. They all could climb down using his system of ladders! They were protected from the wind and could get away from the fire! So, one after the other the elves climbed down from the tree and reached the safety of their homes.

When the storm waned, they found that the Kinso tree had burned. Regardless, many young, strong shoots were sprouting up from its ashes.

​All the other elves acclaimed Taito in a celebration lasting the entire day after the storm. They never again derided him or called him bad names. That day Taito discovered that it wasn't important if you were born different from others. He understood that if you made an effort and worked hard you could really make a difference, to such an extent that that you could even become a hero.