In a forest on the outskirts of a city, there was a beautiful green tree with long, dense branches and many green leaves that swayed gently with the wind. Birds would come to it from distant places and sing the most beautiful songs. It was a beautiful and happy tree. It formed a special relationship with a small boy from a neighboring village where he would come to it daily after school, eat from its apples and play with it. They would talk for hours and hours. He was used to sharing with her everything, his thoughts and future plans.
The tree would listen to the boy and laugh with him. They understood each other, so their relationship strengthened. He would make a crown from the leaves and pretend to be a king, climb her to swing on her branches, and say to the tree: You are lucky to have the most beautiful sunset view, sparkling water, and breeze. No wonder you’re happy. I wish I lived here. The tree said to him: The water, sun, and breeze are always here. I feel happy because you are with me.
The boy would talk for hours with the tree, and after his talk and play, he used to rest in its shade. Time passed, and the boy grew up and got new friends, so he became busy and his times with the tree decreased. The tree cherished its few moments with him. The boy gradually stopped visiting the tree, and she remained alone waiting to see him again. One day, the boy came to visit her. The tree was happy with him. Its heart beat with every step the boy took toward her. When he approached, the tree called him, saying: Welcome, come climb me and swing on my branches. The boy said: I’ve grown too big for climbing and swinging. She said to him: Do you see the sunset view? You’ve always loved it. He said: I’m very busy. I want to see the world.
So the tree said to him: Why do you look sad? He said to her: I need money. It’s the thing that brings happiness. The tree didn’t want to see him sad, so she said: Come, take my apples and sell them in the market, and you’ll get money. The boy climbed the tree, gathered all the apples from it, and went to sell them in the market. The tree felt happy helping the boy but was sad about his being away from her for a long time.
Years passed. Birds would come to sing their songs and leave. The tree stood alone on the edge of the hill, looking for the boy to come visit her. One day, the boy returned again. The tree shook with happiness and said: Welcome, and said: Come climb me. He said to her: I don’t have time. I’ve married. I have a wife and children now. The tree said to him: You’ve truly grown. Why don’t you look happy? That’s what she saw. He said: I feel anxious. I’ll be happy if I build a house for my family.
The tree said: I don’t have a house for you, but I have branches. You can cut them and make a house for yourself, so you’ll be happy. The boy climbed the tree and cut all its branches and took them. Years passed, and the boy didn’t come to visit the tree. She was no longer able to talk to the birds, which started flying far away from her.
She would always ask the sparrows about the boy, but no one saw him. The tree grew old, standing alone on the hill trying to search for the boy. She watched the city change, green meadows disappear, and roads and buildings appear in their place. She watched trees being cut from their roots. Many people came to cut forests and build their houses. The forest lost its green color.
The tree was sad about the destruction of its home. It became very alone and still waiting for the boy with longing. One day, the boy returned to visit the tree. He had now become an old man. The boy looked sad. He sat leaning against the tree, crying. The tree was affected by the boy’s crying, but she no longer had branches. She said: What ails you? He said: My wife left me, and my children don’t care about me. There’s no one here who loves me anymore. The tree said: You always search for happiness. You must wait, and it will come to you.
He said: There’s no happiness here. I wish I could build a boat and sail away from this place. The tree said: That will make you happy. He said: Yes. Then she said: Cut my trunk and make a boat, and sail away with it. He said to her: Tree, oh tree. The boy brought his tools and cut the tree trunk and built a boat. He looked happy. The tree felt happy for him. She watched him sailing far away from her and felt sad about the complete separation from the boy. She became just a piece of wood on the edge of the river. Years passed, and the tree was no longer able to see buildings and hills. She became nothing but a wooden piece on the ground, missing the birds, the view of green buds, the feeling of home comfort, and more than all that, she missed the boy.
Finally, the boy returned to the tree after the city had changed a lot. Nature disappeared and filled with buildings. The boy became old. The tree said: You’ve returned. I waited for you very long. He said to her: Trees disappear, and cement doesn’t give us clean air. How far does human greed extend in building cities and polluting the air? Don’t these people know the importance of nature? The tree didn’t respond, for there was nothing left to say.
The boy sat on the cut tree and watched the sun setting and felt the gentle breeze. Then they talked about life and how the world around them changed. The boy told his story to the tree, and the tree felt happy.