THE BOY & THE APPLE 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 treetop, ate the apple, 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 had grown up and he no longer played around the tree everyday.

One day, the boy came back to the tree and he looked sad.
“Come and play with me!”, the tree asked the boy.
“I’m no longer a kid; I do not play around trees any more 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 never came back after he picked the apples. The tree was sad.

One day the boy who now turned into a man returned and the tree was 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 but I don’t have any house. But you can chop off my branches to build your house”.

So the man cut all the branches of the tree and left happily. The tree was glad to see him happy but the man never came back since then. The tree was again lonely and sad.

One hot summer day, the man returned and the tree was delighted. “Come and play with me!” the tree said.
“I’m getting old. I want to go sailing to relax my self. Can you give me a boat?”, said the man.
“Use may trunk to build your boat! You can sail for away and be happy”.
So the man cut the tree trunk to make a boat. He went sailing and never showed up for a long time.

Finally the man returned after many years.
“Sorry, my boy. But I don’t have anything for you anymore. No more apples for you,” the tree said.
“No problem, I don’t have any teeth to bite.” The man replied. “I’m too old for that now,” the man said.
“I really can’t give you anything…the only thing left is my dying roots,” the tree said with tears.
“I don’t need much now, just a place to rest. I’m tired after all these years,” the man replied.
“Good! Old tree roots are the best place lean on and rest. Come, come sit down with me and rest.”

The man sat down and the tree was glad and smiled with tears.

This is a story of everyone. The tree is like our parents. When we were young, we loved to play with our Mum and Dad. When we grow up, we leave them only come to them when we need something or when we are in trouble. No matter what, parents will always be there and give everything they could just to make you happy. You may think the boy is cruel.

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THE EMPEROR’S NEW CLOTHES

Many years ago there lived an emperor who cared only about his clothes and about showing them off. One day he heard from two swindlers that they could make the finest suit of clothes from the most beautiful cloth. This cloth, they said, also had the special capability that it was invisible to anyone who was either stupid or not fit for his position.

Being a bit nervous about whether he himself would be able to see the cloth, the emperor first sent two of his trusted men to see it. Of course, neither would admit that they could not see the cloth and so praised it. All the town people also heard of the cloth and were interested to learn how stupid their neighbors were.

The emperor then allowed himself to be dressed in the clothes for a procession through town, never admitting that he was too unfit and stupid to see what he was wearing. For he was afraid that the other people would think that he was stupid.

Of course, all the town people wildly praised the magnificent clothes of the emperor, afraid to admit that they could not see them, until a small child said: “But he has nothing on!”

This was whispered from person to person until everyone in the crowd was shouting that the emperor had nothing on. The emperor heard it and felt that they were correct, but held his head high and finished the procession.

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KANCHIL AND CROCODILLE

One day it was very hot. There was no wind at all to refresh the thirsty plants and trees of the forest.
It was in the middle of the dry season. For many weeks no rain had fallen so that the little creeks were the small animals used to drink had dried up. Kanchil was walking alone in the forest; he was very thirty. He had walked a long way. Looking for a brook where he could quench his thirst, but he had found only dry mud in the once gay rippling brooks. It was very quiet in the forest. All the animals seemed to sleep. Even the bird did not sing in the trees. Kanchil finally decided to go to the big river that bordered the forest. Usually he avoided going there as he knew that crocodile was always on the look-out for him, waiting for on opportunity to catch him.

Kanchil, the small but clever mouse deer, had many enemies in the forest. Fortunately, he was quickly.

When he arrived at the river, Kanchil looked curiously around him. There was nobody to be seen. The clear river water mirrored blindingly the rays of the sun Step by step Kanchil approached the water. His sharp eyes looked right and left, his pointed ears strained to catch the slightest sound. But no danger seemed to threaten him to time. Relieved, he bent his head to enjoy the cool water. Suddenly, his glace fell upon an object that was floating not tar away from where he stood. It was blackish thing. It looked like a fallen branch … or, like the back of crocodile! Kanchil jumped back, surprised and thoughtful. But he was also very thirsty. How could he possibly know whether the thing there in the river was really a long or a crocodile? Then he smiled a little as he hit upon an idea. In a clear voice he shouted, “Hay! There, you who are in the river. If you are a crocodile, don’t answer me, but if you are only a log of wood, tell me you name!”

Now it was really Crocodile who was floating in the river. He had seen Kanchil approaching and he was waiting for him to bend his head to drink. At the very moment when Kanchil did not look, Crocodile in his gruff voice, “Don’t be afraid, I’m only a harmless log!”.

Immediately, Kanchil ran away ran fast as his legs could carry him, while shouting over his shoulder. “O, stupid crocodile, have you ever a log of wood talk?”.

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THE SMARTEST ANIMAL

Once there was a farmer from Laos. Every morning and every evening he ploughed his field with his buffalo.

One day a tiger saw the farmer and his buffalo working. The tiger was surprised to see a big animal listening to a small animal. He wanted to know more about the buffalo and the man.

After the man went home, the tiger spoke to the buffalo, “You are so big and strong. Why do you do everything the man tells you?” The buffalo answered, “Oh, the man is very intelligent”.

The tiger asked, “Can you tell me how intelligent he is?” “No, I can’t tell you,” said the buffalo, “But you can ask him”.

So the next day the tiger said to the man, “Can I see your intelligent?” But the man answered, “It’s at home.” “Can you go and get it?” asked the tiger. “Yes”, said the man., “But I’m afraid you will kill my buffalo when I’m gone. Can I tie you to a tree?”

After the man tied the tiger to the tree, he didn’t go home to get his intelligence. He took his plough and hit the tiger, and then he said, “Now you know about my intelligence even if you haven’t seen it.”

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SNOW WHITE

Once upon a time there lived a little girl named Snow White. She lived with her aunt and uncle because her parents were dead. One day she heard her uncle and aunt talking about leaving snow white in the castle because they both wanted to go to America and they didn’t have enough money to take snow white.

Snow white didn’t want her uncle and aunt to do this, so she decided it would be best if she ran away. The next morning she ran away from home when her aunt and uncle were having breakfast. She ran away in to the woods.

She was very tired and hungry, and then she saw this little cottage. She knocked but no one answered. So she went inside and fell a sleep.

Meanwhile, the seven dwarfs were coming home from work. They went inside. There they found snow white sleeping. Then snow white woke up she saw the dwarfs said, “What is your name?”. She said “My name is Snow White”.

Doc said, “If you wish you may live here with us”. Snow white said, “Oh could I? Thank you”. Then snow white told the dwarfs the whole story and snow white and the seven dwarfs live happily ever after.

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