It is said that a crow once picked up a nut and carried it to the top of a tall belfry, a bell tower.

Holding it in its paws, it began to peck at it to open it. But suddenly, the nut rolled down and disappeared into a crack in the wall.

Realizing it was free from the crow's beak, it begged:

Wall, my good wall, for the love of God, who was so good to you, making you high and strong, and enriching you with these beautiful bells of such beautiful sound, save me, have pity on me!

My destiny was to fall among my father's old branches, to remain in the rich soil covered in yellow leaves. Please, don't abandon me!

When I was being attacked by the terrible beak of that ferocious crow, I made a vow. I promised that if God allowed me to escape, I would spend the rest of my life inside a tiny crack...

The bells, with a sweet murmur, warned the belfry to be careful because the nut could be dangerous. After all, it was a foreign body in its intimacy.

However, the wall decided to shelter it, leaving it where it had fallen.

Time passed, and the walnut began to open, then spread its roots into the cracks of the stone.

Not long after, the roots forced their way between the stone blocks, and branches came out and emerged from the crack.

The branches grew, became stronger, and stretched high above the top of the tower. The roots, thick and twisted, began to make holes in the walls, pushing out all the old stones.

The wall realized, too late, that the walnut's humility and its vow to remain hidden in a crack were not sincere. And it regretted not having heeded the bells.

The walnut tree continued to grow, and the wall, the poor wall, crumbled and collapsed.

*   *   *

In our lives, sometimes, some seeds appear that act exactly like a nut.

They seem small and harmless. However, they cause great damage.

We speak of the seed of gossip, which sows discord and can cause the collapse of a friendship.

If it is the seed of bad humor, it will spread the roots of anger and the branches of irritation, which go hand in hand with violence.

Jealousy is a small seed that, if fed by distrust, irrigated by insecurity, and fueled by impulsive pride, can bring an entire family crashing down.

However, if we embrace the seed of tolerance in our hearts, we will see the tree of harmony grow, tearing down the walls of emotional separation.

If we welcome the seed of the spirit of cooperation with others, it will give life to the leafy tree of fraternity, sheltering in its shade those who walk under the sun of varied needs.

If we allow the select seed of love to enter our hearts, even through a small crack of goodwill, it will sprout a trunk so strong and branches so tall that they will touch the heavens, allowing the angels of harmony, fraternal union, and peace to descend through its branches and, through each of us, serve others in the name of God.

There are seeds and seeds. Our heart is one. It is up to each of us to select the seed we want to allow to grow into a leafy tree.

Let us think about this and make the right choice.

Spiritist Moment Team, based on the chapter
A noz e o campanário, from the book Fábulas,
 by Leonardo da Vinci, Melhoramentos publisher.
September 18.2025