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 apples, and took naps under the shadow. He loved the tree and the tree loved to play with him.

 

   Time went by and the little boy had grown up. He no longer played around the tree everyday. The tree no longer saw him. One day, the boy came back to the tree and he looked sad. “Come and play with me,” the tree pleaded.

 

   “I am not a little boy anymore,” the boy replied. “I do not play around trees. I want toys. I need money to buy them.”

 

   “Sorry, but I have no money…” the tree said. “But you can pick all my apples and sell them. Then you will have money to buy the things you want.”

 

   The boy was so excited. He picked all the apples off the tree and left happily. It made the tree glad to see him smiling again. The boy never came back after picking the apples. It made the tree sad.

 

   One day, the boy, now a full-grown man, returned and the tree was very happy and excited to see him. “Come and play with me!” the tree said.

 

   “I do not have time to play,” the man said. “I have to work for my family. We need a house for shelter. Can you help me?”

 

   “Sorry,” the tree said. “But I do not have any house. But you can chop off my branches to build your house.”

 

   The man smiled and cut all the branches of the tree and left happily. The tree was glad to see him happy, but the man never returned after that. Once again, the tree was lonely and sad.

 

   One hot summer day, the man returned and the tree was extremely delighted. “Come play with me,” the tree said.

 

   The man ignored the tree’s request. “I am getting old; I want to go sailing to relax myself. Can you give me a boat?”

 

   “Use my trunk to build your boat,” the tree told him. “You can sail far away and be happy.”

 

   The man cut the tree trunk to make a boat. He went sailing and did not return for a long time. Finally, the man returned after many years.

 

   “I’m sorry, my boy, but I do not have anything for you anymore,” the tree said. “No more apples for you…”

 

   “No problem; I do not have any teeth to bite,” the man replied.

 

   “No more trunk for you to climb on…”

 

   “I am too old for that now,” the man said.

 

   “I really cannot give you anything,” the tree said sadly. “The only thing left is my dying root.”

 

   “I do not need much now,” the man replied. “I only need a place to rest. I am tired after all these years.”

 

   “Old tree roots are the best place to lean on and rest,” the tree said. “Come sit down with me and rest.”

 

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

 

   The boy/man is you and the tree is your parent! Understand the sacrifices our parents make for us from day to day. Love your parents!