5th June is commemorated as world’s environment day. What better than to share my favourite story of a tree as the first week’s post for season two of Blogaberry Dazzle?
This story is one of my favourite ones on the bountiful nature of trees and the rather selfish nature of humans. No amount of advice can have the impact a story has on human psyche.
This story had been one of the more popular ones among all that I shared with my students during my teaching career.
The Mango Tree
Once upon a time, a boy of around five was playing in the garden- running, skipping and climbing as boys of that age are wont to do. He chances upon a Mango tree and realizes that he is indeed hungry. As he stops at the tree wondering if he can pluck one ripe, yellow fruit, the tree says, ” Go ahead, son. Eat one mango of mine.”
The happy boy plucks the richest and ripest one off the tree and bites into the soft, juicy fruit and skips away happily.
He runs away without a thought and forgets to utter the words, “Thank you.”
The tree sways around in the breeze and the wind happy that it could please a little boy.
Twenty years go by. A young man comes near the tree, his brows furrowed, eyes clouded with worry. The tree recognizes the boy who is now a man and asks, “What is it. Why are you worried?”
The man says, “I am getting married. I don’t have a house of my own.”
The tree says, ” Build a house for yourself with my branches and leaves.”
The happy young man does just that and he leaves the place happy that his needs are met. He once again forgets to utter the magic words, “Thank you.”
Twenty years goes by. The middle-aged man comes to the tree, sits below the branches and weeps. The tree asks, ” What is it?”
The man says, “I have lost it all. I had a boat that helped me eke out my living. Now I have nothing left. the sea has taken it away. I am at my wit’s end.”
The tree says, ” Take my trunk. Build a boat for yourself.”
The man’s eyes light up. He sets to work bringing the tree down.
Twenty more years. An old man comes by to the place where a tree once was. The tree sighs. ” Make a bonfire of my roots and warm yourself.”
This blog post is part of ‘Blogaberry Dazzle’
hosted by Cindy D’Silva and Noor Anand Chawla
in collaboration with Mister Tikku.
Featured Image using copilot
I remember reading this story as a child and being angry at the selfishness of that man and the selflessness of that tree. This is a poignant tribute to our trees at a time when the government has razed a whole green cover in Kancha Gachibowli , Telangana.When will man wake up and understand that cutting trees is like chopping their own roots.
What a selfless attitude of the mango tree indeed! And we shameless humans even do not utter those 2 golden words “Thank you” every time we use its services. When will be at all change?
What an apt reminder of how much nature gives us. We as humans have only taken and barely do the minimum to preserve it. One tree sustained a man throughout his life. We are billions of humans, and we are unable to protect nature for our future generations.
This story moved me deeply. It reminded me of how often we take from those who love us—parents, nature—without pausing to say thank you. A humbling, beautiful reminder.
It’s a story that brings out mixed emotions. We are never grateful for what we see around us, we always want to deplete like vampires. It’s also a lesson in safeguarding the future, being grateful and thankful for the abundance that we are surrounded with. I hope we all remember that long before us there were trees and long after us there will be trees.
Such a beautiful blog.. reminded me of a book I read called How the mango got its magic by Sudha Murty. I really feel the day we start appreciating the valuable things we get for free will be the day we would be celebrating environment everyday!
Gratitude for what we have in this world is totally missing in todays human beings… What they dont have they cry for that and not for what they have. That’s why humans will always remain the most selfish creature on earth. I really wonder when will we will learn to be happy with what we have…. Perhaps no one knows… That’s the biggest tragedy.
This reflection under the mango tree is pure gold. I love how the mango becomes a lens for ancestral wisdom, patience, and simple joy. It’s a beautiful reminder that growth isn’t instant and the sweetest lessons often come from just being present.
Your writing feels like a warm conversation on a lazy summer afternoon.
I recently a retelling of a folklore where a family selfishly used trees and did not show gratitude for whatever the trees did for them, and there were bad consequences for that. Your story reminded me of that and I feel we need to understand the value of gratitude and appreciation before the chaos.
I love how this story traveled from a classroom favorite to a public reflection; its timeless message still resonates deeply: gratitude isn’t a luxury, it’s a necessity
Such a thoughtful story this is..it also has a deeper meaning. Thanks for sharing this.
I really got a bit emotional after reading this. How nature sacrifices itself to flourish the human race yet humans can’t even protect it. I thought the boy will realize and be grateful to the tree someday but alas! That never happened. Because we only have been extracting the benefits and not return8ng the favor. Such an apt story!
I remember reading this story as a kid, and since then we humans have never changed; we are still the same. We still cut down jungles for our own benefit; deforestation is done, and recent incidents in Hyderabad… I guess it’s time to change the story; it’s time to add the punishment for the human to not say thank you, to cut the branches, and to do the sin of harming nature.
Your post says so much about how giving nature is, and how we often take it for granted without even realising. The tree never complained, never asked for anything in return. Just gave and gave.And somewhere, it reminds us of the environment, of parents, of all the quiet support systems we lean on.
Thank you for sharing this.
I have read this story so many times. Each time I read it it reminds me how selfish we humans are. The only animal that takes more than it gives back to nature.
I have heard this story many times as well. It’s true that we, as humans, are the most self-centred species in the world. Thanks for sharing this story to read again.
A beautiful, heartfelt story that reminds us of nature’s quiet sacrifices. It’s time we stop taking and start giving back. Thank you for this poignant Environmental Day reflection.
Our mother earth is the most giving, most generous and most selfless. And we are the most selfish.
This story is a stark reminder that we humans can be utterly selfish at the cost of the environment. The way things are going, it might already be too late to reverse the damage.
Such an apt story for World Environment Day. Nature keeps giving and we keep receiving, all the while failing to remember that it takes love and nurturing to survive.
Oh I remember this one very well. It was a part of the prose section in our English language textbook class 2 or 3. Holds so true is such a relevant one even today
There are some people in this world who are like this mango tree. They just end up giving everything they have without any expectations!
Your story is somehting that we should pause and think, wat nature gives us and how uch we are giving it back. loved reading it
I’ve heard this age-old tale. It really puts humanity in its place.