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
4 comments
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.