Paulina, una pequeña ramita muy curiosa e inquieta, saltaba de un lado a otro mientras cantaba y disfrutaba de las caricias que le ofrecía el césped, sobre su cuerpecito de madera. Amaba salir del tronco hogar y pasear de un lado a otro. Sus padres siempre preocupados le advertían que no debía alejarse de la sombra que les brindaba el gran roble al que antaño habían pertenecido, pues cerca se encontraban los humanos y con éstos había que tener cuidado.
Ella los había visto una vez, cuando era más pequeña y se despistó en su paseo. Un niño humano la había tomado y con un trozo de carbón dibujo sobre ella alegres ojitos, una nariz pizpireta y una curiosa boquita con sonrisa de medio lado. Cuando terminó de dibujarla la dejó tirada y se marchó corriendo. Sus padres hicieron grandes aspavientos al mirar el rostro humanizado que le habían hecho a su pequeña hija palo, sin embargo, a Paulina le pareció de lo más divertido tener esos garabatos marcados en su amaderado cuerpecito.
En la pequeña colonia de ramas y palos, Paulina se diferenciaba por su carita dibujada. A veces era la envidia de las otras palitos, y se pavoneaba al saberse única entre los palos. Por eso no tenía miedo de los humanos, pensaba que si por accidente volvía a caer en sus manos, tal vez ahora le harían alguna prenda de vestir o le marcarían su cuerpito haciéndola cada vez más diferente. Entonces cada vez que sus padres le dejaban salir a saltar, se alejaba más y más de la sombra del gran roble, para tentar a la suerte y así ganarse un nuevo accesorio humano que la hiciera diferente a los demás.
Una tarde de mayo y después de ayudar a sus padres a esparcir las semillas de roble que tocaban para ese día, Paulina pidió permiso para ir a saltar y corretear con sus amigas las ramitas. Su padre y su madre pesarosos le permitieron jugar por media hora, eso si, no olvidaron recomendarle una vez más que no se alejara del tronco hogar.
Paulina como siempre asintió y se marcho segura de que si quería podría alejarse, pues casi no se veían humanos por ahí y a ella no le daban miedo, al contrario, le parecería fascinante volver a ver uno.
Calixto había vuelto a visitar la granja de sus abuelos y esa misma tarde se adentró en el bosque de robles a dar un paseo. Mientras caminaba distraído observó con emoción, aquel palito curioso que de niño le llamó la atención y al que le había dibujado una sonriente carita. Se veía en óptimo estado y todavía estaba perfectamente marcada su carita de carbón. Le pareció muy curioso que aún pasados 10 años todavía el carbón no se había borrado. Lo tomó como una señal para la decisión que estaba por tomar. Y se llevó como recuerdo al pequeño palito que antaño había dibujado.
Regresó a la casa de la granja y se reunió con su esposa. Le contó su nostálgico hallazgo y le trasmitió la decisión que había tomado. No vendería la granja de sus abuelos, la conservaría y se encargaría de mantenerla en buen estado. Sacó de su bolsillo al palito que había encontrado y lo colocó encima de la chimenea, allí lo dejaría por siempre, como un recuerdo de su bonita niñez y de lo que significaba la granja de sus abuelos para él.
Cada día los padres de Paulina, las ramas, las ramitas, los palos y palitos, esperan su regreso, mientras realizan sus labores como cuidadores del bosque de los robles. Los más pequeños juegan y corretean bajo la sombra protectora y nunca, pero que nunca, nunca se alejan del tronco hogar porque conocen la tradicional leyenda de Paulina, la palito que se alejó y nunca regresó.
Esta es una creación original para participar en el reto literario que nos ofrece 
English Version
- Paulina! Where are you? - shouted the mother, confused and frightened at the same time, because a few seconds ago she had seen her little daughter running around and now there was no trace of her.
Paulina, a very curious and restless little twig, jumped from one side to another while singing and enjoying the caresses offered by the grass on her little wooden body. She loved to get out of the log home and wander from one side to the other. His parents, always worried, warned him that he should not stray from the shade provided by the great oak tree to which they had once belonged, because humans were nearby and they had to be careful with them.
She had seen them once, when she was younger and got lost on her walk. A human child had picked her up and with a piece of charcoal had drawn on her cheerful little eyes, a cheeky nose and a curious little mouth with a half-smile. When he had finished drawing it, he left it lying there and ran away. Her parents made a big fuss as they looked at the humanized face they had drawn on their little stick daughter, but Paulina found it most amusing to have those scribbles marked on her woody little body.
In the little colony of branches and sticks, Paulina was distinguished by her little drawn face. Sometimes she was the envy of the other sticks, and she strutted about knowing she was the only one among the sticks. That's why she wasn't afraid of humans, she thought that if by accident she fell into their hands again, maybe now they would make her a piece of clothing or mark her little body, making her more and more different. So every time her parents let her go out to jump, she moved farther and farther away from the shadow of the big oak tree, to tempt fate and thus earn a new human accessory that would make her different from the others.
One afternoon in May and after helping her parents to scatter the oak seeds that were to be planted that day, Paulina asked permission to go jump and run around with her friends in the twigs. Her father and mother regretfully allowed her to play for half an hour, but did not forget to advise her once again to stay close to her home trunk.
Paulina, as always, nodded and left, sure that if she wanted to, she could go away, since there were hardly any humans around and she was not afraid of them, on the contrary, she would find it fascinating to see one again.
Calixto had returned to visit his grandparents' farm and that afternoon he went for a walk in the oak forest. As he strolled distractedly, he observed with excitement that curious stick that had caught his attention as a child and to which he had drawn a smiling face. It looked in excellent condition and its charcoal face was still perfectly marked. He found it very curious that even after 10 years the charcoal had not been erased. He took it as a sign for the decision he was about to make. And he took the little stick he had once drawn as a souvenir.
He returned to the farm house and met with his wife. He told her of his nostalgic find and conveyed the decision he had made. He would not sell his grandparents' farm, he would keep it and see that it was well maintained. He took the stick he had found out of his pocket and placed it on top of the fireplace, where he would leave it forever, as a reminder of his beautiful childhood and of what his grandparents' farm meant to him.
Every day Paulina's parents, the branches, twigs, sticks and sticks, await her return, as they go about their work as protectors of the oak forest. The little ones play and run around under the protective shade and never, but never, never leave their home trunk because they know the traditional legend of Paulina the little stick that went away and never came back.
This is an original creation to participate in the literary challenge offered by