The Boy and The Tree

A long time ago, there was a huge apple tree. A little boy
loved to come and play around it everyday. He climbed to the
tree top, ate the apples, and took a nap under the shadow...

He loved the tree and the tree loved to play with him.

Time went by...

The little boy grew up, and he no longer played around the tree
everyday. One day, the boy came back to the tree with a sad
look on his face. "Come and play with me," the tree asked the
boy. "I am no longer a kid, I don't play around trees anymore."
The boy replied, "I want toys. I need money to buy them."
"Sorry, I don't have money...but you can pick all my apples and
sell them so you will have money."

The boy was so excited. He grabbed all the apples on the tree
and left happily. The boy didn't come back after he picked the
apples. The tree was sad.

One day, the boy returned and the tree was so excited.
"Come and play with me," the tree said.
"I don't have time to play. I have to work for my family.
We need a house for shelter. Can you help me?"
"Sorry, I don't have a house, but you can chop off my branches
to build your house."

So the boy cut all the branches off the tree and left happily.
The tree was glad to see him happy but the boy didn't come back
afterward. The tree was again lonely and sad.

One hot summer day, the boy returned and the tree was delighted.
"Come and play with me!" the tree said.

"I am sad and getting old. I want to go sailing to relax
myself. Can you give me a boat?" "Use my trunk to build your
boat. You can sail far away and be happy." So the boy cut the
tree truck to make a boat. He went sailing and didn't come
back for a long time.


Finally, the boy returned after he had been gone for so many
years. "Sorry, my boy. But I don't have anything for you
anymore. No more apples for you..." the tree said.

"I don't have teeth to bite," the boy replied.

"No more trunk for you to climb on."

"I am too old for that now" the boy said. "I really can't give
you anything... the only thing left is my dying roots," the
tree said with sadness.

"I don't need much now, just a place to rest. I am tired after
all these years," the boy replied.

"Good! Old tree roots are the best place to lean on and rest.
Come sit down with me and rest." The boy sat down and the tree
was glad and smiled with tears.

*****************************************************************

This is the story of everyone.

The tree is our parent. When we were young, we loved to play
with Mom and Dad... When we grew up, we left them...

We only came to them when we needed something or when we were in
trouble.

No matter what, parents will always be there and give you
everything they can to make you happy.

It may seem as if the way the boy treats the "tree" in the story
is cruel, but many of us take our parents for granted in the
same way.

Never forget how important your parents are and try not to take
them for granted... they may not be around forever.


~Author Unknown~