The Ghost Tree

WILL AN ANCIENT LEDGEND WEAVE A YOUNG GIRL'S DESTINY? In a mountain village lived Grandmother Atl, a very talented weaver, and her granddaughter, Nemimati. Nemimati wants nothing more than to help her grandmother live a better life, so she convinces her to enter a contest where the winner will receive the title of Royal Weaver-and get to live in the comfort of the Royal Palace. Grandmother Atl sends Nemimati and her young friend, Mishtla, to gather the scarce magical red Coloring Beans with yellow centers from which a luminous golden dye can be made. Eventually, the children stop to rest near the ruins of a mysterious palace garden where the Spirit Tree of legend fortuitously appears and graciously fills their baskets. However, not until the day of the long-awaited contest do Nemimati and her grandmother hear the miraculous tree's appearance explained. This mythic tale is set in the pre-Columbian era of a Toltec emperor who took his name from the god, Quetzalcoatl. His legend proclaims him a beneficent sovereign who promoted heartfelt sacrifice for one another rather than the religious rite of sacrificed hearts practiced by other rulers. It is also said that he presented his subjects with wealth and knowledge.