Once upon a time, there was a tree that lived in a forest. A boy used to come and play around the tree every day, but one day the boy stopped coming. The tree was sad and missed the boy’s laughter and joy.
Years went by, and one day the boy came back to the forest. The tree was overjoyed and said to the boy, “Come back to me, play with me, climb up my trunk and swing from my branches, eat my apples, and play in my shade, be happy again.” However, the boy replied that he was too busy for such things.
He asked the tree for money, but the tree only had apples. The boy took the apples and sold them for money.
Years passed and the boy came back again, he wanted a house to keep him warm. He said, “I want a wife and children, and I need a house for that.” The tree, being generous, offered to have its branches cut off and used to build the boy’s house.
The boy stayed away for a long time and eventually came back again, but this time he wanted a boat so he could sail away. The tree, with a heavy heart, offered to let the boy cut down its trunk to make a boat, and the boy did so.
After long time, the boy came back again and the tree said, “I am sorry, Boy, but I have nothing left to give you. My apples are gone.” The boy replied that he was too old for apples now and his teeth were too weak for them.
“My branches are gone,” she said, “You cannot swing on them anymore.” The boy replied, “I am too old to swing on branches now.”
The tree continued, “My trunk is gone, you cannot climb anymore.” The boy replied, “I am too tired to climb, I need a rest.”
The tree sighed, “I am sorry, I wish I could give you something more, but I am just an old stump now.” The boy smiled, “I don’t need much now, just a quiet place to sit and rest. I am very tired.”
The tree straightened up as much as she could, “Well, an old stump can still be a good place to sit and rest. Come, Boy, sit down and rest.” And the boy did just that. He sat down and rested on the old stump and the tree was content, knowing that she could still be of use to the boy in some way.
Moral: The power of love and kindness to create happiness
