On a slope of 

Mount Maenalus in Arcadia is an olive grove that grows around a marble tomb and the
ruin of an old villa. There, one gigantic tree resembles a frighteningly distorted man, and the roots of
the tree have shifted the blocks of the tomb.
The narrator explains that the beekeeper who lives next door told him a story about the tree: Two
renowned sculptors, Kalos and Musides, lived in the colonnaded villa, which was "resplendent" in its
day. Both men created works that were widely known and celebrated. They were devoted friends,
but different in disposition: Musides enjoyed the nightlife, while Kalos preferred the quiet of the olive
grove. It was there he was said to receive his inspiration.
One day, emissaries from "the Tyrant of Syracuse" ask the sculptors each to create a statue of
Tyché (Greek: τύχη, lit. 'fortune; fate'). The statue, they are told, must be "of great size and cunning
workmanship", since it is to be "a wonder of nations and a goal of travellers." The most beautiful
statue will be erected in the Tyrant's city, Syracuse. Kalos and Musides accept the commission.
Secretly, the Tyrant expects the sculptors not only to compete but to cooperate, resulting in statuary
that will be truly magnificent.
The work proceeds, and although Musides is still social and active, he seems morose—apparently
because Kalos has fallen ill. Despite Kalos' weakened state, his visitors detect in him a serenity that
contrasts Musides' dismay. Despite the efforts of his doctors and his friend Musides, Kalos weakens.
When Kalos' death seems imminent, Musides weeps and promises to carve for him an elaborate
marble sepulchre. Kalos asks that twigs from specific olive trees in the grove be buried near his
head. Soon after, Kalos dies in the olive grove.
Musides builds the tomb and buries the olive twigs. From the burial place of the twigs an enormous
olive tree grows at an incredible rate. An especially large branch hangs over the villa and Musides'
statue.
Three years later, Musides' work on the statue is complete. The Tyrant's agents arrive, then head to
town to stay the night. That evening, a windstorm whips down the mountain. When the Tyrant's
people return to the villa the next morning, they find it utterly destroyed; the great tree branch has
fallen, and Musides' statue has been crushed into unrecognizable pieces. Musides himself is
nowhere to be found.
The end of the story recalls the Latin aphorism that precedes the text: "Fata viam invenient" ("fate
will find a way").
On a slope of Mount Maenalus in Arcadia is an olive grove that grows around a marble tomb and the
ruin of an old villa. There, one gigantic tree resembles a frighteningly distorted man, and the roots of
the tree have shifted the blocks of the tomb.
The narrator explains that the beekeeper who lives next door told him a story about the tree: Two
renowned sculptors, Kalos and Musides, lived in the colonnaded villa, which was "resplendent" in its
day. Both men created works that were widely known and celebrated. They were devoted friends,
but different in disposition: Musides enjoyed the nightlife, while Kalos preferred the quiet of the olive
grove. It was there he was said to receive his inspiration.
One day, emissaries from "the Tyrant of Syracuse" ask the sculptors each to create a statue of
Tyché (Greek: τύχη, lit. 'fortune; fate'). The statue, they are told, must be "of great size and cunning
workmanship", since it is to be "a wonder of nations and a goal of travellers." The most beautiful
statue will be erected in the Tyrant's city, Syracuse. Kalos and Musides accept the commission.
Secretly, the Tyrant expects the sculptors not only to compete but to cooperate, resulting in statuary
that will be truly magnificent.
The work proceeds, and although Musides is still social and active, he seems morose—apparently
because Kalos has fallen ill. Despite Kalos' weakened state, his visitors detect in him a serenity that
contrasts Musides' dismay. Despite the efforts of his doctors and his friend Musides, Kalos weakens.
When Kalos' death seems imminent, Musides weeps and promises to carve for him an elaborate
marble sepulchre. Kalos asks that twigs from specific olive trees in the grove be buried near his
head. Soon after, Kalos dies in the olive grove.
Musides builds the tomb and buries the olive twigs. From the burial place of the twigs an enormous
olive tree grows at an incredible rate. An especially large branch hangs over the villa and Musides'
statue.
Three years later, Musides' work on the statue is complete. The Tyrant's agents arrive, then head to
town to stay the night. That evening, a windstorm whips down the mountain. When the Tyrant's
people return to the villa the next morning, they find it utterly destroyed; the great tree branch has
fallen, and Musides' statue has been crushed into unrecognizable pieces. Musides himself is
nowhere to be found.
The end of the story recalls the Latin aphorism that precedes the text: "Fata viam invenient" ("fate
will find a way").