In a small Slovak village where the mountains rose like sleeping giants, there lived a woodcarver whose hands could coax life from even the ugliest knot of pine. His name was Marek, and though his neighbors respected his work, they often whispered that his talent came from talking to the trees themselves.
Marek did nothing to deny it. On long summer days, he wandered into the deep forest with his tools, listening to the rustle of leaves as though they spoke secrets only he could hear.
One day, while searching for a fine piece of oak, he heard something stranger than the wind. It was laughter, deep, rolling, and oddly cheerful, coming from a clearing he had never seen before.
There, at the center, stood a massive oak with bark ridged like old scars and eyes, yes, eyes, half-hidden in the woodgrain.
The Woodcarver’s First Cut
“Ah, so you’ve found me,” the tree said, its voice as warm as a hearth fire.
Marek swallowed hard but kept his composure. “And who exactly have I found?”
“I am the Laughing Tree,” it said, chuckling so hard a few acorns fell. “If you carve me, I’ll grant you a gift, your work will charm every soul who sees it.”
The woodcarver hesitated. “Trees don’t offer gifts without expecting payment.”
The Laughing Tree’s bark eyes twinkled. “True. When you laugh with others, some of that laughter must return here, to me.”
Marek agreed. His knife bit into the oak, and with every curl of wood he removed, the tree chuckled, filling the clearing with mirth.
The Woodcarver’s Rise
From that day forward, Marek’s carvings became the envy of the region. His figurines of saints seemed to bless the homes they entered; his animal carvings looked ready to spring to life. Nobles traveled days to buy his work.
Yet, every month, Marek returned to the Laughing Tree to tell jokes, stories, and even the occasional absurd rumor. The woodcarver noticed that the more he laughed with the tree, the lighter his own heart felt.
But not everyone was pleased. A rival craftsman named Tomas, jealous of Marek’s sudden fame, followed him into the forest one evening.
The Egg of a Plan,Tomas and the Tree
(Yes, even rivalries in Slovak folktales sometimes involve eggs.) Tomas overheard the bargain and decided to trick the tree into giving him the same gift, without the cost.
He approached the Laughing Tree and said, “Why give Marek all the laughter? I can carve just as well, and I’ll bring you… silence. Eternal peace.”
The tree stopped laughing. “Peace is not my nature, fool. Laughter is my lifeblood. You offer poison in place of wine.”
The bark shifted, and with a great creak, the tree’s roots pulled Tomas into the soil, leaving only his boots sticking up like gravestones.
The Woodcarver’s Dilemma
The next time Marek visited, the Laughing Tree was quieter than usual.
“My friend,” said the tree, “I’m tired. I have given too much, even to you. Soon, my roots will sleep forever.”
Marek felt a pang of guilt. He had taken the tree’s laughter but never thought of replenishing it beyond stories. The woodcarver decided he would give the forest a part of his craft.
He carved a great wooden mask, painted in bright colors, with a mouth shaped in permanent laughter. Placing it on the tree’s trunk, he declared, “When my stories fade, may this face keep you laughing until spring.”
The tree roared with mirth so loud that birds scattered from miles around.
The Last Laugh
Years later, Marek grew old, and his hands could no longer carve. But villagers still spoke of the woodcarver who had befriended a tree and filled the mountains with laughter.
And if you walk deep enough into the forest of Slovakia, you might find the Laughing Tree still standing, its mask grinning in sun and snow alike, and the wind through its leaves sounding suspiciously like an old man telling a joke only he understands.
Moral of the Tale
True craft is not just in the hands but in the heart. What you take from the world must be returned in equal joy, or your art will lose its soul.
Knowledge Check
What is the moral of “The Woodcarver and the Laughing Tree”?
That art thrives when it gives back to the world as much as it takes.
Where does the tale originate?
This folktale comes from Slovak tradition in Eastern Europe.
What was the bargain between Marek and the Laughing Tree?
Marek could carve with unmatched charm in exchange for sharing laughter.
How was Tomas punished?
The Laughing Tree buried him in the soil for offering “peace” instead of joy.
Is this a moral fable, trickster tale, or ghost story?
It is a moral fable with magical elements.
Why is the tree called the Laughing Tree?
Because its laughter is both its gift and its life source.
Origin: Slovak tradition, Eastern Europe
