One day, two trees grew in the middle of the forest. One was a birch tree, and the other was a mango. The mango was kind and sweet. Birds would come to him in autumn and perch, and he would make nests between his branches and shelter them. He welcomed everyone and fed them. He was also generous and provided shade for travelers. He was strong when the winds blew him.
As for the birch tree, she wasn’t kind, and she only thought of herself. She boasted that she was taller and greener than the mango tree. She didn’t allow the birds to rest and would drop her ugly leaves on whoever sat under her. The birds said to her: Why don’t you let us sit with you? All trees give us shade. She said: Indeed, why do they sit under my shade? I will tell you, because my shade is bigger than the shade of all other trees. She said to the birds: Stay away from me, for you spoil my beautiful leaves with the mango tree.
The mango tree said to her: What’s wrong with them? They want to build nests, why don’t you let them? They are gentle birds. She said: No, I am bored, and I won’t let anyone approach me lest he spoil my beautiful branches. Leave them. You are smaller and not beautiful in form and appearance. The mango tree said: There is no defect. I feel happy and satisfied. The days passed, and their condition remained as it was, and nothing changed in their matter. The mango continued in giving and blooming all day, while the birch refused the talk.
One day, a flock of hungry woodpeckers entered the forest and saw the birch tree. The queen was amazed by her and said she was huge and suitable for their home, and she would build a nest in it. Then the birch tree said proudly: I don’t want noise between my branches, and I don’t want two hungry woodpeckers. The mango tree said to her: They are woodpeckers, and woodpeckers are good for trees. Trees need them for their health. If we don’t cooperate, how will nature balance? She said: If nature wants to spoil my beautiful branches because it made me big and beautiful, I created the beautiful thing, and I will preserve my beauty. The mango tree was hurt severely by her words, but she didn’t respond to her.
She called out to the flock of woodpeckers and asked them to build their nest on her. They said to her: You are a kind tree, and we will be happy to do that. The woodpeckers built a nest on the mango tree and lived in peace, and the two continued on their condition with whoever approached them. After several years, carpenters came to the forest and needed wood to build houses. They saw the mango tree and judged it, then noticed one of them, the woodpeckers’ nest, would pierce it if they cut it, so they would search for another.
Then the carpenters saw the two trees and began cutting the two trees, and the tree began to moan because she didn’t want to be cut. The mango saw what was happening and called out to the woodpeckers: They need us. The queen said: It is selfish, and she agreed with the woodpeckers. She said: It will take its portion. The mango tree said: Her departure doesn’t affect us. If it is any of us, we don’t want us to become evil and the forest is our home, and we must not leave it when it needs us. The woodpecker said: You are right. We will help her. The woodpeckers left the nest toward the carpenters and blew in their ears and their eyes, and they went out of the forest. After they left, the two felt shame, and the birch apologized to the woodpeckers, asking them to help her and forgive her. They said to her: Don’t blame us, but thank the mango tree, for she is the one who saved you.