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.