Once upon a time there was a large apple tree filled with delicious large apples, and a beautiful child lived beside it who loved to play around that tree. The child enjoyed climbing the tree, jumping, and eating some of its delicious fruits every day.
That tree loved playing with the child every day very much, and found happiness and joy upon seeing him. Days passed and that small child grew into a fifteen-year-old boy. One day the tree asked him to come and play with her.
The boy refused to play with the tree because he had become a boy, not a child. He appeared sad, so the tree asked him why he was sad. He told her he needed money to buy some toys suitable for his age.
The tree had no money to offer that boy, but she offered that he collect all the apples and take them to the market to sell, and he would get the money with which he could buy whatever he wanted. The boy was happy with that suggestion and climbed the tree to gather the apples, then left and never returned again.
Many years passed and that boy passed by the tree after he had become a man. The tree rejoiced at seeing him for she missed him, and she invited him to play with her. But the man refused—how could he play with her when he had become a man? The tree felt deep sadness for that man, so she asked him why he was sad. He told her he had married and wanted a home to live in with his wife, and he had no shelter.
The kind tree had no house to host the man, but she asked him to cut her wooden branches and make a house where he could live with his wife. The man was happy with that idea, brought an axe, cut the tree’s branches, left, and never returned again.
Many years passed and the man passed by the tree after he had become an old man leaning on his cane, appearing tired. The tree felt sorrow and sadness for she no longer had anything else she could offer him to make him happy.
But the old man told her he wanted nothing except to feel comfort. The tree offered that he lean on her large trunk. The man rested his head and leaned against the tree trunk, and the tree cried for she missed seeing him greatly.
Moral of the story: To teach the child the favor of parents, for they are like that tree, always striving to offer the best they have for our happiness, sacrificing their comfort for our comfort, and providing us with everything we need throughout different stages of life. So we must never forget their favor, even as time passes and years go by.
Translated from story: The apple tree