In a forest of headless trees, the one tree with a burl is Pope of Fools.
It’s no accident that burl rhymes with pearl. I mean, it is an accident, but one that makes you think.
If you’re ever in the woods and feel as if you’re being watched, that may be due to the presence of burls. Though to me they have more of a listening air about them.
Brain surgeons could train on them but don’t, as far as I know. Woodworkers could turn them into bowls, and some do.
Such a bowl wouldn’t do for an ordinary salad. It would have few if any practical applications. You’d just want to have it out on display where you and your friends can gather around, standing very still and whispering whenever there’s a wind.