A Beech and a Birch tree grew side by side in a forest. One year, a healthy young sapling sprang up between them. Each claimed the offspring was theirs. The sapling grew, and the argument raged. One day a woodpecker came along, and the two older trees decided he could help settle the dispute. They asked the woodpecker to sample the sapling and tell what it was. The woodpecker obliged, rat-a-tat-tatting on the sapling for a short while. The two tall neighbors asked, "Is it a son of a beech or son of a birch?" The woodpecker replied, "It's the best piece of ash I ever stuck my pecker in!"