هَذِهِ شَجَرَةُ دَمِ الْأَخَوَيْنِ. هِيَ تَنْمُو فِي سُقُطْرَى فَقَطْ. سُقُطْرَى جَزِيرَةٌ يَمَنِيَّةٌ فِي بَحْرِ الْعَرَبِ. فِي الْجَزِيرَةِ نَبَاتَاتٌ كَثِيرَةٌ. وَبَعْضُهَا لَا يَنْمُو فِي مَكَانٍ آخَرَ. شَكْلُ الشَّجَرَةِ مِثْلُ الْمِظَلَّةِ. وَفِي خَشَبِهَا سَائِلٌ أَحْمَرُ. لَوْنُهُ مِثْلُ لَوْنِ الدَّمِ. وَفِي الْجَزِيرَةِ غَابَاتٌ مِنْ هَذِهِ الْأَشْجَارِ. الْجَوُّ فِي سُقُطْرَى جَافٌّ. وَالشَّجَرَةُ تَجْمَعُ مَاءَ الْمَطَرِ وَالضَّبَابِ. ثُمَّ يَنْزِلُ الْمَاءُ إِلَى التُّرْبَةِ. فَتَعِيشُ نَبَاتَاتٌ أُخْرَى حَوْلَهَا. يَأْتِي السُّيَّاحُ إِلَى سُقُطْرَى كُلَّ سَنَةٍ. هُمْ يُرِيدُونَ رُؤْيَةَ غَابَاتِ دَمِ الْأَخَوَيْنِ. وَيَذْهَبُونَ مَعَ مُرْشِدِينَ مِنَ الْجَزِيرَةِ. وَيَنَامُونَ فِي مُخَيَّمَاتِ عَائِلَاتٍ مِنْ سُقُطْرَى. الْأَشْجَارُ الْيَوْمَ فِي خَطَرٍ. الْأَعَاصِيرُ الْقَوِيَّةُ تَضْرِبُ الْجَزِيرَةَ. وَهِيَ تُسْقِطُ أَشْجَارًا كَثِيرَةً. بَعْضُ هَذِهِ الْأَشْجَارِ قَدِيمَةٌ جِدًّا. وَالْمَاعِزُ تَأْكُلُ الْأَشْجَارَ الصَّغِيرَةَ. وَالشَّجَرَةُ تَنْمُو بِبُطْءٍ شَدِيدٍ. لِذَلِكَ تَزْرَعُ عَائِلَاتٌ أَشْجَارًا صَغِيرَةً فِي مَشْتَلٍ. حَوْلَ الْمَشْتَلِ سِيَاجٌ مِنَ الْخَشَبِ. السِّيَاجُ يَمْنَعُ الْمَاعِزَ. فَتَنْمُو الْأَشْجَارُ الصَّغِيرَةُ بِأَمَانٍ. وَالْعُلَمَاءُ قَلِقُونَ عَلَى مُسْتَقْبَلِ الْأَشْجَارِ.
This is the dragon’s blood tree. It grows only in Socotra. Socotra is a Yemeni island in the Arabian Sea. The island has many plants. And some of them grow nowhere else. The tree’s shape is like an umbrella. And in its wood there is a red liquid. Its colour is like the colour of blood. And on the island there are forests of these trees. The weather in Socotra is dry. And the tree collects water from rain and fog. Then the water goes down into the soil. So other plants live around it. Tourists come to Socotra every year. They want to see the dragon’s blood forests. And they go with guides from the island. And they sleep in the camps of families from Socotra. Today the trees are in danger. Strong cyclones hit the island. And they bring down many trees. Some of these trees are very old. And goats eat the young trees. And the tree grows very slowly. So families plant young trees in a nursery. Around the nursery there is a wooden fence. The fence keeps out the goats. So the young trees