The Boy and a Tree A long time ago, there was a huge apple tree. A little boy loved to come andplay around it everyday. He climbed to the treetop, ate the apples, took a napunder the shadow.. he loved the tree and the tree loved to play with him. Timewent by.. the little boy had grown up and he no longer played around the treeevery day. One day, the boy came back to the tree and he looked sad. ‘Come and play withme’ the tree asked the boy. ‘I am no longer a kid, I do not play around treesany more’ the boy replied. ‘I want toys. I need money to buy them.’ ‘Sorry, butI do not have money.. but you can pick all my apples and sell them. So, you willhave money.’ The boy was so excited. He grabbed all the apples on the tree andleft happily. The boy never came back after he picked the apples. The tree wassad. 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 do not have time to play. I have towork for my family. We need a house for shelter. Can you help me?” Sorry, but Ido not have any house. But you can chop off my branches to build your house.’ Sothe man cut all the branches of the tree and left happily. The tree was glad tosee him happy but the man never came back since then. The tree was again lonelyand sad. One hot summer day, the man returned and the tree was delighted. ‘Come andplay with me!’ the tree said. ‘I am getting old. I want to go sailing to relaxmyself. Can you give me a boat?’ said the man. ‘Use my trunk to build your boat.You can sail far away and be happy.’ So the man cut the tree trunk to make aboat. He went sailing and never showed up for a long time. Finally, the man returned after many years. ‘Sorry, my boy. But I do not haveanything for you anymore. No more apples for you’ the tree said. ‘No problem, Ido not have any teeth to bite’ the man replied. ‘No more trunk for you to climbon’ the tree said. ‘I am too old for that now’ the man said. ‘I really cannotgive you anything.. the only thing left is my dying roots’ the tree said withtears. ‘I do not need much now, just a place to rest. I am tired after all theseyears’ the man replied. ‘Good! Old tree roots are the best place to lean on andrest, Come, come sit down with me and rest.’ The man sat down and the tree wasglad and smiled with tears.. Moral: 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 to the tree, but that is how all of us treat our parents. We take them for granted we don’t appreciate all they do for us until it’s too late.