But then came the drought of July. The shallow, rich soil dried out in days. Pip’s lush foliage began to droop. His roots, having found easy water near the surface, had no reason to go deep. He was gasping for life.
Verruco lost a few branches in the storm, but his dense, twisted core held firm. He had survived not by being the strongest or the fastest, but by being the most efficient. He had learned to do more with less. upload file
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She explained to her students that Verruco’s rings were incredibly thin—so thin they were barely visible. In good years, trees grow wide rings. In bad years, the rings are thin. But then came the drought of July