The Critic did not answer with a judgment, but with a story. It was a simple story, of a time before the First Art, before the Arboretum had even learned to name itself. It was a story of a seed, small and unassuming, that held within it the potential for a forest. The Critic spoke of how the seed was planted, not with a grand gesture, but with a quiet act of faith. It was watered with hope and nurtured with patience. And in time, it began to grow. The chapter will continue to describe the growth of this “seed,” a metaphor for the creative impulse, and how it was almost destroyed by an early frost, a representation of the first act of criticism. The Critic will explain that their harsh judgment was born of a desire to protect the fragile seedling, to make it stronger, not to kill it. The chapter ends with the Artist beginning to understand the Critic’s perspective, not as an antagonist, but as a protector.