UNIT – 5
A Little Boy and a Kind Tree
There is a story about a kind tree and a little boy. The little boy played in the
shade of the tree every day. The tree loved him very much. One day the boy sat at the
foot of the tree. There were tears in his eyes.
“Why are you crying?” asked the tree. “Because I’m hungry,” said the little boy.
“Eat my fruit,” said the kind tree, and bent down one of its branches. The boy ate
the fruits and was happy. The boy grew up. One day he sat under the tree. He was sad.
“Why are you sad?” asked the tree. “I’m going to marry,” said the young man. “But I
have no house to live in.” “Cut down my branches,” said the tree. “And build a house.”
The young man built a house with the branches of the tree. The young man became a
sailor. One day he sat under the tree. He looked unhappy. “Why are you unhappy?”
asked the tree.
“Because my captain is a bad man and cruel to me,” said the sailor. “I want to have
my own ship.” “Cut down my trunk and build a ship,” said the tree. The sailor built a
ship on his own. The tree was gone. Only the stump was there. In ten years, the sailor
lost his ship. He came home. He was a helpless old man. One cold winter day the old
man stood near the stump of the old tree. He leaned on his stick and trembled with
cold. “Make a fire out of me,” said the stump of the tree, “and warm yourself.” The
stump of the kind tree burned in the fire.
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