SILVER FIR

In the fairy-tale forest

The silver fir conveys clarity and freshness. Free your thoughts!

Small measures are not for you. Your territory covers around 80 km2 and you would like to make it the biggest territory of all. Not a single thing escapes your sharp eagle eyes and you can survey your entire hunting range down to the last corner. You have a bird’s eye view. Your sphere of influence is powerful. You are the king of the birds of prey. You are the golden eagle.

From up above you look down at the world that lies below. Totally free and unbridled, you move through the endless airspace. Your territory is not limited to the entire forest area below. Your highest realm is the sky. It belongs to you alone. You are the sovereign of the skies. You are the golden eagle.

There’s no one above you. No one can fly as high and far as you. As you continue to glide in your all-powerful state, an unforeseen danger suddenly appears. A huge shadow spreads over you from behind. When you look up, it’s already too late. A huge yellow thing covers your wings and paralyses you. You cannot see anymore. Your limbs are clamped. Who dares to make you crash? After all, you are the golden eagle!

Your wild fluttering can only partially soften the unavoidable fall. Luckily, you land in a dense fir forest which cushions your fall and rescues you. You hit the ground a little softer than expected. And you are still caught in this strange thing that has completely entangled you. With your sharp claws, you manage to rip the thing open and break through. Your beak does the rest. These are the weapons of a golden eagle.

You think you have freed yourself from the trap that almost cost you your life. But there is a fine cord wrapped tightly around your left wing that you are unable to untie. You can’t reach it with your beak. As you try with your claws, you suddenly fall back and land on the sensitive back of your head. What is going on? You’ve never felt so disempowered and victimised. You, the golden eagle.

You have always simply escaped problems and unpleasant conflicts. However, at this moment you can’t even manage to get up. Flying seems impossible. Your wing is paralysed. The more you try to flap your wings, the tighter the string pulls around your wing. Is there no escape? You lie exhausted on the forest floor and look up. Towards the path of the fallen golden eagle.

You also see the tree that broke your fall. You’ve hardly ever looked at a fir tree from below. It has such a strong supporting trunk. And countless branches and needles that hide under the highest layer. You hadn’t realised how big and tall a fir of this kind could grow. From above, all trees seemed so small and insignificant. And also, such an impressive mass hides under this fine needle roof. For the first time you see the splendour and beauty of this tree. It is a silver fir.

The sight of the fir calms you. Your breathing has slowed. This tree has just saved you from the worst ending. It has caught you and rescued you. Its fresh scent gives you relaxation and clarity. Your paralysed limbs have now relaxed and so has the string. You suddenly see a loose thread string near your head. You manage to seize the end of it with your beak. Calmly, and with the greatest care, you begin to unwind the string from your body. Very gently. Step by step.

The last piece of string is finally loose and you are free again! Freedom was always a guarantee for you. If not integrity. As the largest bird of prey in the Alps, you know no danger. But this surprising accident has taught you something. You are vulnerable too. You too can fall from the sky. You pull yourself upwards and sit on a strong branch of the silver fir a few metres further up. You give yourself time to recover. And you will forever be grateful to it. The silver fir, the saviour of the golden eagle.