The Saturn
Presentation of this planet and its moons, including ring and creatures
- Chapter 4 -
The Funnel Tree, the Pyramid Treeand the Mirror Tree
The funnel tree, which on Saturn is called kibra, is the sixth species of tree. The trunk has a diameter of 18 feet and a smooth bluish bark. The trunk has the same diameter at the top as at the bottom, and it reaches a height of 120 feet. At the top grow branches to all sides in a 45° angle; these branches are straight and up to 60 feet long. The branches have offshoots sprouting parallel right and left, just like pine trees on earth, and the farther they are from the trunk, the longer and broader they become. The offshoots are actually the branches and the leaves of this tree at the same nine. At the end of the branches you will find the blossom and eventually the fruit. Therefore this kind of tree has no more fruit than it has branches.
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This tree has a peculiarity before its blossom time. Before the blossom has sprouted, the tree itself begins to burn; it is, however, a cold fire which resembles a glowworm and rotten wood. There is one distinct difference: this pre-blossom fire is by far lighter than the aforementioned glowworm. At such times, an entire forest of these trees gives the onlooker a spectacular light show. Not all of these trees begin to bloom at the same time; therefore the pre-blossom tire comes to some trees sooner and to others later. This fire occurs 7 days before the blossoming and burns continuously, but the colors also change constantly; the result of this is that the light show of the funnel tree throughout the seven days changes from one primary color to another, inclusive of all the transitions from one color to another; in other words, the change occurs through all the 7 primary colors.
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Now imagine such a blossoming tree. Because not all the branches of this tree begin to blossom on the same day, the preblossom fire on one and the same tree is multi-colored. With just a little imagination you can gather how spectacular such a blossoming or, actually, a pre-blossom burning forest must appear to the eye of an onlooker (especially from a higher vantage point) when an entire forest of these funnel trees begins to blossom in this manner. At times these forests cover an area of several hundred square geographic miles.
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Following this pre-blossom burn, the peculiar blossom of this tree makes its appearance. I am certain that this blossom would not be tolerated in many countries or states, because a six-totwelve foot wide tri-color ribbon grows to a length of twelve feet on a twelve-to-eighteen foot long, gold-yellowish stem which is thicker than a man's arm. This ribbon has three colors of equal width, namely light red, light blue and snow-white. And as many blossoms as such a tree has, that is how many ribbon flags flutter in the wind.
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Now you have a small concept of the splendor of the blossoms of this tree. When the blossom time is over, the flags and stems fall from the tree and the most beautiful specimens are gathered by the inhabitants. Because they lose their splendor when dry, the Saturnites roll the fallen blossoms and foliage, make piles, and, as long as they are still fresh and soft, they lie on them to strengthen their limbs. Once they become dryer and firmer, they burn them; while they burn, they exude a lovely fragrant smoke and the silvery-white ash provides an excellent fertilizer for the soil. The unattractive parts of these blossoms are left under the tree, where they decompose and thereby fertilize the soil as well.
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The most magnificent thing about this tree is the fruit that comes into being right after the blossom. The shape of this fruit somewhat resembles the bottle gourd on earth, but with the difference that the neck of the fruit often reaches a length of 24 to 30 feet and has a diameter of 2 feet. The neck turns at the end into a perfect sphere, the head, the diameter of which is anywhere from 9 to 12 feet. The outer rind of this fruit has the appearance of pure polished gold. Again, ask your imagination what the effect of an entire forest of such trees would be in the sunlight.
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You probably would also like to know what this fruit is used for. The answer is very simple. For the same purpose as you use gourds on earth: partly to retrieve liquids (water) from springs or wells, partly as containers to keep or preserve juices which were pressed out from a variety of plants or fruits. This fruit is gathered as carefully as possible and kept for trade.
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You might also like to know why this tree has the shape of a funnel. The reason for the funnel shape is that this tree can absorb the sunlight and the electromagnetic fluid more effectively. In the center of the funnel, there is a marrow tube which evaporates actual mist, especially during the night. This mist is for the other vegetation as well as for human beings; if they inhale it, it is somewhat poisonous and destructive if the light of the sun does not disperse it. However, the funnel is structured in such a way that it does not allow any more of this mist to seep through than what the tree requires throughout the night as a form of fructification or pollination, and only until the fruit has reached not quite half of its maturity. Whereupon, by approaching maturity, the marrow tube in the center of the funnel begins to close and then the mist is driven regularly to the fruit to inflate the fruit. Through this activity the funnel contains such nourishing vital air that the Saturnites climb with ladders into these funnels, prepare their beds, and sleep for many nights in these funnels.
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Behold, that is what is memorable about the funnel tree! Besides the vital air, there is nothing which is fit for human consumption. The seeds, which are similar to pumpkin seeds on earth, are consumed only by domesticated animals.
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Now we will discuss the seventh species of tree, the pyramid tree which is called uhurba.
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This tree attains the greatest height of all trees on this celestial body, and it has almost the same attributes as your silver fir, which has a white trunk. The pyramid tree often reaches such heights that on earth there is hardly a mountain which could measure up to it. The uhurba has only one trunk, which at the root level often has a diameter of 480 to 600 feet. The branches start right at the bottom of the trunk and grow in every direction. The lowest branches of a fully-grown pyramid tree often have a length of 6,000 feet, and, towards the top of the tree, the branches become gradually shorter and shorter, in such a manner that it assumes the shape of a mighty pyramid in the form of a round cone. When compared to this tree, your proud Egyptian pyramids are no more than little snail shells. If it were possible to physically transfer a human being to Saturn, this human being would believe himself to be looking at the highest mountains.
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This tree belongs to the species of conifers; its leaves resemble, though of course on a larger scale, the needles of a pine tree on earth; and the color is not green but blue. The usefulness of this tree regarding the purification of the air and filling the air with vital substances is so extraordinary that the healing power from the treetops and branches of this tree even reaches earth. The balsamic fragrant conifers on earth receive their ethereal substances from the pyramid trees on Saturn.
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These trees are also carefully planted everywhere, which is easily done by taking a sprig from this tree and planting it somewhere in good soil. Soon it begins to grow, and in a few Saturn years is already grown into a stately tree. It can reach an age of several hundred Saturn years. When, after this time, such a tree withers, the roots begin to decay first and the tree consumes itself even to the uppermost tops. Wherever such a tree has decayed and consumed itself, the inhabitants will spread a meager soil, where in a few years this soil becomes very fertile and will be prepared for the cultivation of their juice herbs. Even here you can employ the aid of your imagination to view several of these trees, and the result will be that the size of planet earth will begin to diminish from what you assumed it to be.
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You now know the most important details about this tree. Therefore we shall direct our attention to the eighth species, which for you earth dwellers must truly be a highly peculiar tree. You will not find anything like it on earth.
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The eighth species of tree is the remarkable glass or mirror tree, called ubra. This tree has an actual square trunk, which is as translucent as green glass on earth. The trunk tapers off with height. The tree itself reaches a height of 120 to 180 feet and has no branches throughout. More than half of the trunk of the glass or mirror tree is just like a species of cacti on earth, adorned with large hanging flowers which have almost the same shape as lilies on earth, only much larger and with the difference that on Saturn every petal of the flowers is a different color and has a total of ten petals. After half a year the blossoms begin to wither and a very peculiar kind of fruit begins to grow on a crystalline knobby stem. In the beginning this fruit consists of nothing but a translucent water pouch, which gradually becomes larger and larger. When this fruit ripens, it resembles a balloon which is 6 to 9 feet in diameter.
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When this fruit reaches its first stage of ripening, the liquid in the pouch begins to condense to such an extent that the pouch shrinks and peels itself off little by little from the condensed liquid. The condensed liquid falls to the ground from the tree with the stem. That is when the Saturnites gather this solidified juice; they cut this fruit evenly, and the result is that they obtain square plates, which they use as mirrors. This tree is of no further use other than for adornment in their gardens, because if a row of these trees is planted it forms a magnificent avenue of splendor. The reason the inhabitants of Saturn prefer to plant this tree is because, like the pyramid tree, it is easily planted, but it cannot be propagated with a sprig. Since this tree has no branches, it is instead planted with seeds, which are contained not in the fruit but in the blossom.
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The reason for the translucency is that its entire organism consists of square tubes, through which the useful liquid rises. If the organs were round, not one ray would be able to penetrate, because the ray would be refracted too often; whereas in this square form the ray experiences a much lesser refraction and can therefore penetrate almost without any hindrance. And because all the trees on Saturn, and by preference in this particular country, have a completely smooth and polished bark, the surface of this peculiar tree shines like mirrored glass on earth; so that any passerby can see his reflection from head to toe on the trunk of this tree.
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This explanation covers the details of the eighth species of tree. Allow your imagination to roam in this respect, and it will not be difficult for you to understand how I, the Creator, have the ability to adorn a world without cities and palaces built by human hands. This is the information for today. We will discuss the other species of trees in the chapters that follow. Amen!