A Parable That All Should Learn From
Have you heard about the story of a little boy and a kind tree? It is an enchanting tale that teaches us to appreciate the sacrifices that parents make during the upbringing of their kids. It is interesting to note that this caring and comforting tendency does not end with the childhood of the kid, it extends eternally, at least as long as the parents are alive. Let us dive into the tale and see how well it portrays the love of our parents.
The Little Boy Climbing Up a Tree
The Story
Once upon a time, there lived a huge apple tree. There was a little boy who loved to come and play around the tree every day. He used to climb to the treetop, eat the apples, and take naps under its shade. He loved the tree and the tree also loved to play with him. As time went by, the little boy grew up and he would no longer play around the tree every day.
One fine day, the boy returned to the tree; he was looking sad. The tree asked the boy to come and play with it.
The boy replied that he was no longer a kid and he did not like to play around trees any more. He also mentioned that he wished to buy toys, for which he needed money.
The tree apologised and said, “I am sorry…but I do not have any money. However, you can pick out all my apples and sell them so that you can earn some money”.
The boy was so excited that he quickly grabbed all the apples hanging from the tree and left merrily. The boy never returned after he got what he needed, the apples.
The Little Boy Plucking Apples From the Tree
The tree felt lonely and sad.
One day, the boy, who had now turned into a man, returned, and the tree was excited again.
The tree asked the boy to play with it as usual.
“I haven’t got any time to play. I need to work to take care of my family. We are in need of a house to shelter us. Can you please help me?”, asked the boy.
The tree was distressed and replied, “Sorry…but I do not have any house to give to you. However, you can chop off my branches and take them with you. They will help you build your house”.
So, the man hastily cut all the branches off the tree and left satisfied. The tree was glad to see him happy, but, as usual, the man did not care to come back since then. The tree was once again lonely and sorrowful.
Man Chopping Down Tree Branches
It was a hot summer day; to the tree’s delight, the man had returned!
“Come and play with me!”, the tree exclaimed in a joyful tone.
The man replied deeply, “I am getting old. I wish I could go sailing and spend some leisure time all by myself. Do you have a boat I can use?”.
“You can use my trunk to build your boat and sail far away, and you’ll be happy”, said the tree.
Like his usual routine, the man once again cut the tree trunk and built a boat out of it. He went sailing. And guess what? He didn’t show up for a very long time.
Man Cutting Down Tree Trunk
Finally, the man came back to the tree after many years.
“Sorry, my boy. But I have nothing that I can give you anymore. There are no more apples left for you”, the tree said.
“That won’t be a problem, I do not have any teeth left to bite on them anyway”, the man replied.
“No more trunk for you to climb on”, said the tree.
The man smiled and replied, “I am too old for that too”.
The tree said while shedding tears that it really could not give him anything except for its dying roots.
“I do not need much now, just a place where I can rest. I am weary after these long years”, the man replied with a sigh.
“Good then! Old tree roots can serve as excellent resting places. Come, sit down with me and relax”.
The man sat down comfortably. This made the tree really glad and it smiled with tears of joy.
Old Man Resting Under the Tree
Conclusion
This story of a little boy and a kind tree is for everyone, old and young. The kind tree symbolises our parents. When we are young, we feel excited and delighted to play with our folks. But when we grow up to be adults, we very often tend to leave them. The only time we return to them is when we are in need of something or when we get into trouble.
No matter what, parents have always been and will always be there to give everything in their capacity, just to make you happy.
You may assume that the boy is cruel to the tree, but that is how each one of us treats our parents. We always take them for granted and do not appreciate the things that they do for us, until it is too late.
FAQs on The Enchanting Story of A Little Boy and A Kind Tree
1. Why are parents always sympathetic towards their children?
Children are parts of their parents, literally and rhetorically. They are the fruits that parents bear and are taken care of until they are ripe and fall off. This falling off signifies the severing of children from their parents when they decide to move out, purposefully or out of necessity. However, parents, like the tree mentioned in the story, always tend to care for their children like they would care for themselves, their body and soul. Children will always have the warmth and comfort of home and the love of their parents, no matter what they do or how far they stray away.
2. What does the story tell us about the perception of the little boy?
The little boy, when young, is filled with joy every time. The kind tree helps him with whatever he is in need of. He feels safe and comfortable to ask the tree for favours that he cannot expect from the world. Even as he grows older, his expectation remains the same from the tree (that signifies one's parents).
Finally, when he gets too old to use anything the tree had offered before, he expects the tree to provide him with what little is left of it. This tells us that the little boy (representing any child) tends to miss out the instances of sacrifice that the tree has to show. He fails to realise that his expectations tend to hurt the tree, more often than not. This perception is very common. Hence, it is our absolute responsibility to take the condition of our parents into consideration when we demand things of them.
