Wishtree

Red does not have much time to ruminate about the previous night, as their day is busy attending to the pilgrimage of wish-makers. The local newspaper reporter returns and photographs the eggshells on Red’s trunk.

Sam and Max return to take down the line of police tape that has been encircling Red. Francesca joins them with her two cats, now on leashes, in tow. She tells the officers that the mud around the tree is a result of the plumbing issues that Red’s roots have been causing. And she says that it has finally come time to cut Red down. She will use the fact that the animals have vacated Red’s hollows in order to accommodate Wishing Day as the perfect opportunity to cut down the tree without hurting the animals. Francesca plans on having the tree cutters perform their duty the next afternoon, when most of the wishing will finish. She also tells the officers that she’ll put all the wishes in the trash—just as she does every year. Francesca has grown cynical and tired of the tradition, which she views as nonsense.

Francesca’s cats see Bongo among Red’s branches and try to climb the tree to get to her. Bongo responds with a loud and fearsome caw, and the cats tangle themselves up in their leashes while seeking safety in Francesca’s arms. 

The professional tree cutters arrive that afternoon. Red is upset by their chainsaws and stump grinder, which are notably different from the pruning shears that humans have used on her in order to help her grow. Although Bongo wants to poop on the workers’ heads, Red does not allow it. The workers observe the families of animals that have come back into Red’s hollows and branches. But Francesca explains that the next day is May 1, Wishing Day, and the animals will vacate the tree accordingly. She tells them that the next afternoon is therefore the most opportune time to fell the tree. Francesca cannot believe that she has brooked the foolish tradition for so long. 

The next morning, Francesca makes her rounds to the surrounding homes to explain her plans for Red. Both Samar and Stephen’s parents acquiesce, relieved to see the end of the nuisance of Wishing Day, and happy about the prospect of more sunlight in their lawns and windows. But Samar and Stephen try to persuade Francesca to halt her plan. Their assertion that the tree is alive, however, does nothing to move Francesca.

Francesca catches sight of the key around Samar’s neck and recognizes it as the key to her great-great-grandmother’s diary. She guesses that the journal is in the shed behind Samar’s house. When Samar tries to tell Francesca that the tree is alive almost like a human is alive, Francesca dismisses her. The children then talk to Red, trying to get Red to show Francesca their voice. But Red maintains their silence. Samar then tells Francesca that the tree told her and Stephen “about the hollow [...] and the [abandoned] baby” (177). Though taken aback, Francesca still dismisses Samar’s entreaty. Francesca then makes the children repeat her assertion that Red is, plain and simply, “just a tree” (177). The children ask for permission to find the notebook that the key will open, and Francesca obliges—as long as they stop their nonsense about Red.

Samar then regards Stephen suspiciously. She tells him that she knows something is afoot at school, where children have been whispering about her and passing notes. And she asks him if he has told anybody about their experience with Red. Stephen slyly tells her that things are not always as they appear. And then they head toward Samar’s backyard. Red’s heart swells with the hope that they are striking up a friendship. 

It is the last evening before Wishing Day. Red stays awake all night, wishing to relish the beauty of the stars, to “[f]eel the fuzzy wings of the owlets,” and “to stretch [their] roots just a tiny bit farther before the night [is] through” (182). Bongo joins Red for a bit of their old rapport. Red has come to a place of peace regarding their fate. Red finds solace in providing shelter to the little lives inside their hollows for one last night. 

Saturday morning, Wish Day, dawns. Each animal family has departed for their alternate shelter after bidding Red a fond farewell. But Bongo has promised to stay with Red until the end. Stephen and Samar come out onto their porches to watch the goings-on of the day. Other people watch the festivities, including the police officers in their cruiser, three local news reporters, and Francesca, who always puts a small wooden ladder out for wishers. The pilgrimage of townspeople arrives as normal, but then a sudden influx of schoolchildren and their teachers also arrive. The adults help the children to secure more wishes to Red’s branches than the tree has ever hosted. Red swells with hope when they learn what each of the children’s wishes read: “STAY” (188). 

Red’s branches quickly pack to capacity with the singular wish, stunning Red. Red then learns that the plan was Stephen’s idea. He enlisted his own class for the effort, and the entire school joined in. Samar, whose parents are planning to move out of the neighborhood, thanks Stephen for his efforts—although she does not know if they will make her parents change their course. Stephen and Samar implore Francesca to stop her plan to cut Red down. They point to the wishes and ask Francesca to see how adored the tree is. But Francesca remains unmoved in her decision. Samar then gives Francesca her great-great-grandmother’s diary. She tells Francesca that she should read it. When Francesca says that perhaps she will read it the next day, the children persuade her to read the diary that very instant. She begrudgingly obliges. 

The workers prepare to cut Red down. They encircle the tree’s trunk with ropes, and ready their equipment. They check Red’s hollows and branches for animals, and find none, as Red waits patiently. On the path near the tree, the garage band plays. Red feels like the neighborhood is holding a goodbye party for them, and feels at peace with this manner of leaving the world. 

Dave, the head tree-cutter, organizes the scene with a megaphone. Red tries to get Bongo to leave their branches for her own safety, but Bongo will not budge. The chainsaw whirrs to life. And then, Flash comes tearing through the crowd. He climbs into the hollow he knows as home, and stays there. Although he’s panting and shaking, he shows no indication of surrender, or of playing dead. This causes Dave to stop the chainsaw from cutting into Red. And then, all of the animal families return to Red’s shelter in turn. The crowd of humans applauds and laughs as they take in the scene. Even Lewis and Clark evade Francesca and join the other animals among Red’s branches. Dave marvels at the scene, asserting that the animals should actually be eating each other rather than standing in peaceful solidarity with one another.

Francesca, wiping tears from her eyes, makes her way to Red with her arms around Stephen and Samar. When they arrive at the tree, Francesca pulls a strip of blue fabric from the journal’s pages. It is Maeve’s wish, which Francesca tenderly ties to one of Red’s branches. Francesca addresses the crowd. She says that, until that day, she had forgotten the importance of the wishtree to her family. Eyeing the animals now assembled in Red’s branches, she realizes now that the tree is clearly also important to other families as well. Francesca runs her hands over the vandalized word LEAVE and remarks that she hates the word: “Here in this neighborhood, we’re better than this […] We don’t threaten people here. We welcome them” (205). Then she reaches for Samar’s hand and tells her that the tree will be staying, and that she hopes Samar and her family will stay as well. 

That night, after everyone has gone in to sleep, Stephen and Samar meet beneath Red’s branches. Stephen asks Samar if she thinks she and her family will stay—he hopes they will. When an interesting wish for a homework-producing robot falls, Samar re-attaches it to Red’s branch. When Stephen says that such a wish is unlikely to come true, Samar reminds him that a talking tree is equally unlikely. 

If this were a fairy tale, says Red, it might be the case that Wishing Day transformed the neighborhood into one that lived happily ever after. However, real life is messier than that. Red is, nonetheless, exercising their indomitable optimism to feel hope for the future.

Samar’s parents have decided to remain in the neighborhood. Although they still are on chilly terms with Stephen’s parents, the children have struck up a steady friendship, and sometimes even do their homework in Red’s shade. The police never apprehend the vandal, although Red does oblige Bongo’s request to poop on his head. Francesca has petitioned the city to get Red protected as “heritage tree” (210). And Bongo has made a new male crow friend that has Red suspecting that they will soon be welcoming baby crow hatchlings.

Red ends the tale by imploring humans to “listen up” the next time they encounter “a particularly friendly-looking tree on a particularly lucky day” (211). According to Red, “[t]rees can’t tell jokes [...] But we can certainly tell stories” (211).