The legend of the rubber tree

Once upon a time, an Amazonian Indian called Maitá was unfairly accused of theft. As a punishment, the chief of his tribe condemned him to a very peculiar and cruel task: to empty a small lake by using a wicker basket. The work was of course extremely unproductive, as the water always flowed through the holes of the basket. Maitá soon realized that he would have to work for the rest of his life and still never empty the lake.

Knowing that Maita was innocent, a forest fairy approached the poor Indian and asked him to follow her. They walked in the jungle until they reached a very large tree. There, she showed Maitá how to make some cuts in the tree and as he did, he noticed that a milk-like liquid started to flow. The tree was a rubber tree and the liquid was natural latex. Then the fairy told him to spread the sticky liquid over the basket and wait for a while. As the liquid started to dry, he realized that a thin layer of a water resistant material (rubber) was covering all the holes. On returning to the lake, he was very pleased to see that he had no problem in scooping out large amounts of the lake’s water. He gratefully thanked the fairy and finished his task in a few days.

As in all good fairy tales, there was a happy ending. The chief discovered he had made a mistake and apologized to Maitá on his return to the tribe. A big party was held to celebrate Maitá’s return and, most of all, an important secret had been revealed: the secret of the rubber tree.