From Nicobarese Folklore
Long, long ago, when this world of ours was young, trees would be obedient to men, and go wherever they were told. People could drive them far away from their original place.
So in the days when the trees were obedient to the commands of men, we did not get wearied when he travelled, for we would fasten out loads on the branch of a tree, letting the load hang down, duly balanced; and then we would drive the trees along.
So too when we wanted to bring in our things from the gardens in the jungle, all we had to do was to put the load in balanced quantities on the branches of a tree; and the tree would of itself take them off to the village.
In those days, too, people who could not walk could get up into a tree, and they would be borne safely to their homes or where they wished to go, whilst quietly sitting on the branches of the tree.
Now there was once quite a large number of people going out into the jungle at the same time, and also coming back to el-panam. Their loads were heavy and the distance great, so that their strength was somewhat overtaxed. So they packed their loads on the branches of the trees and drove the trees along. But as the trees were going along, the people who were behind went into fits of laughter at the comical sight of seeing the trees carrying their loads and bumping up one against the other. So the trees turned stubborn and would not move any more, for they were angry at being laughed at. So nowadays we have often to overtax our strength in carrying our own loads when we travel, because trees have now become fixtures.
Source:
In the Nicobar Islands, George Whitehead, 1924
Kotharian Lightning 