Old Man Tree Beard (4 varieties)

Legend has it that Old Man Tree Beard got his name because he’s old, he’s a tree, and he has a beard. Personally, we think this story is a little… Dull. We prefer to tell our own version of events (eh, feel free to scroll past to the style selection drop down menu):

Once upon a time, an old man took a stroll through a forest. Why? Well, we’re not sure. Perhaps it was his turn to do the dishes and he was trying to escape his chores? Anyway, as bad luck would have it, he happened to get his beard caught in a tree. Again, not sure why. Maybe he was chasing a squirrel? Whatever the cause of the catastrophe, he was thoroughly stuck. Try as he might, he could not untangle himself.

Eventually, the nearby fairies (who’d been watching and giggling to themselves for some time) decided to give him a hand. No no, they didn’t give him a literal hand. They… Look, would you please stop interrupting and listen to the story? Where was I? Ah yes, so they tugged and pulled… but the old man only got more and more tangled in the tree’s twisted branches. Finally, only two choices remained. Chop off the beard, or become a tree spirit and live in the tree forever. Which one would he choose?

Well, I’m sure most of us would choose to lose the facial hair. The old man, however, had spent many years growing his fine beard, and he absolutely detested chores. Therefore, it made absolute sense in his eccentric mind to choose the latter. From that day forward, he was a tree spirit. And those chores he was avoiding? Well… I guess that’s a riveting story for another day.

There we go. Our legend was much better. Please buy Old Man Tree Beard and see if you can figure out how to release him from the tree at last? No one should leave dishes on a bench for that long!