Please listen carefully, and you'll have to listen carefully to me this time. You've ignored me many times before, but now you need to remember what I tell you. We can argue about what's real and what's not later. After everything I've done for you, you can do this one thing for me. It's near midnight and you have to act soon.
When you approach Brother Maple, don't let him sense your doubt. He appears as a tree, but he is a living, intelligent spirit. If he senses doubt in your heart, he will not answer you.
No, I don't know why he chose the tree. I said we weren't going to argue... you're just curious? Well, look, we can... we can discuss this at a later time, too.
I haven't attempted to make sense of spirits. They're just there and they do as they please. We should be grateful that they even listen to us mortals.
Once spirits find a place they like, they remain there until they're ready to move on. They'll defend their homes by any means. The stories of woodsmen trying to cut down Brother Maple are too numerous to count... and some are too gory for wild imaginations.
Why Brother Maple? He chose that name. Spirits can choose whatever name they wish. Please don't overthink this. If you were a bit more openminded, you would just accept—no. No, I said we weren't going to argue and here I am doing just that. We're wasting time.
Now, when you approach Brother Maple, you can't just walk up to him and start talking. Like other spirits in the forest, he requires payment before he will fulfill requests. The best payment is wooden coins.
Here, take these. I carved them from the dead wood of an oak a year ago, back when I could still walk.
No, the species of tree shouldn't matter. I simply didn't want to take from a living one, and the dead tree was closest to the house.
I'm sorry? Why does he like wooden coins? I couldn't tell you. Maybe it's the clacking they make when they hit each other. Maybe he likes the scent. But he's always responded when I gave him this kind of gift.
Right as you're in front of him, say or think of your question. Don't think of the answer you want to hear. Everyone makes this mistake the first time they ask him something. Some people learn to just wait for an answer, others get fed up and never visit him again.
Everyone wants to hear that their deepest desires will come true. But Brother Maple never indulges wishful questions. He tells you what you need to hear, and that's what I need.
There's no wrong way to give the penny. Place it by the roots, plug it in the knothole, roll it into the hole. Just don't chuck it at him. One person did that and a branch came down and scratched his face.
After you give payment, listen. Not to your thoughts. Ignore anything that comes from your own mind. Listen to the wind and how it moves through the leaves and branches. That is Brother Maple's voice.
Augh. No, no, it's just a cramp. Let me stretch my leg... Goodness. The cramps get worse every day.
Listen. I know you think my ways are nonsense, and we've bickered and disagreed... but thank you for doing this.
Now go. When you return, tell me what he has to say. Don't spare my feelings. Give me only the truth.