The Branches Nobody Counted — Beside the Jerusalem gate, Ziv played his new game every day: stomp on a palm shadow, tap the ground twice, and shout, “One for the road!” The dry leaves scratched his wrist, and dust puffed around his sandals as he gathered the longest branches for his own perfect score. Read the full story →
Beside the Jerusalem gate, Ziv played his new game every day: stomp on a palm shadow, tap the ground twice, and shout, “One for the road!” The dry leaves scratched his wrist, and dust puffed around his sandals as he gathered the longest branches for his own perfect score.
Until one day, singing rolled down the road like drums. A donkey came closer, step-clop, step-clop, and people pressed in from every side. Because of that, Ziv’s little cousin couldn’t reach a single branch. Because of that, a tired woman near the wall had nothing to wave at all. Ziv looked at his biggest palm, then slipped it into her hand before anyone saw. He gave his cousin another and kept only the smallest stem. “Hosanna!” he shouted, jumping so high his shadow broke in two. Next time you see the tiny branch in Ziv’s hand, can you spot the generous game he finished beside the Jerusalem gate?
