Once upon a time, there was a big apple tree. A little boy loved to play around it every day. He climbed the tree, ate the apples, and slept in the shade of the tree. He loved the tree, and the tree loved to play with him. But time passed and the little boy grew up. He no longer played around the tree every day.
One day the little boy came back to the tree, a little sad. – Come and play with me, – the tree said to him.
– I am not a child anymore, I don’t play around trees anymore, – the boy replied, – I need toys, but I don’t have any money to buy them. – Sorry, but I don’t have any money either, – the tree replied, – but you can pick all my apples and sell them. That way you will have money.
The boy was excited. He picked all the apples from the tree and left happily. And for a long time he didn’t come back. The tree was sad.
One day, the boy returns to the tree, already a man. The tree was excited. “Come and play with me,” he says. “I don’t have time to play, I have to work and support a family, I need a new house, can you help me?” “Sorry, but I don’t have a house,” the tree replies, “but you can cut off all my branches and build a house for yourself.”
And the man cuts off all the branches of the tree and leaves happily. The tree was happy to see him happy, but the man never returns. The tree is sad and lonely again.
Years pass again. One hot summer day, the man returns to the tree and the tree is overjoyed. “Come and play with me,” he says.
“I’m already a big boy,” the man replies, “I want to go on a cruise and relax a little, can you give me a boat?” – Use my trunk to build a boat, – says the tree, – you can swim as far as you want and be happy.
And the man cuts down the tree trunk to build a boat. He sets off on a voyage and does not return for a long time.
Finally, after many years, the man returns again. – Forgive me, son, but I have nothing more for you, – says the tree, – my apples are gone. – That is nothing, – replies the man, – I have no more teeth to eat apples.
– I do not even have branches for you to climb on. – I am too old for that, – replies the man.
– I really have nothing more for you, – says the tree with tearful eyes, – the only thing left are my withering roots. – And I do not need anything more, – replies the man, – just a nice place to rest. I am tired after so many years.
– Very well, – says the tree, – my old roots are the best place to lean and rest, come, sit with me and rest. The man approaches, sits under the tree, and tears of happiness appear in the tree’s eyes.
This is a story for everyone. A tree is like our parents. When we are small, we love to play, run around them. But when we grow up, we leave them and come only when we need something or are in trouble. But no matter what, our parents are always there and ready to give us what they have, just to see us happy.