Two tall trees, a birch and a beech, were growing side by side in the woods. One day, a tiny sapling began to grow right between them.
The beech looked down and asked the birch, “Hey, is that a son of a beech or a son of a birch?”
The birch admitted he couldn’t tell. Just then, a woodpecker landed right on the young sapling. The birch called out, “Woodpecker, you’re a tree expert! Can you tell us if that’s a son of a beech or a son of a birch?”
The woodpecker took a quick peck to taste the wood, winked at them, and replied, “Well, it’s neither a son of a beech nor a son of a birch. But I can tell you this—it’s the best piece of ash I’ve ever poked my pecker into!”
