One kind tree

There was once a tree alone on top of a hill. It was happy on it's own. Drinking water from the pouring rain, nourishing from the earth's natural minerals. The tree lived in harmony with the birds and animals that come and ago. Then one day, a wanderer found the tree and fell in love with it's strength and beauty, thus, the wanderer decided to stay. The man, respecting the beauty of the tree decided to keep it the way he found it. The man, the tree and the ocassional bird-animal- visitors lived in harmony.

But one day, the man needed to go down the hill. Being a proud inhabitant of the hill with a beautiful sturdy tree, he brought wanderers with him when he went back. They too fell in love with the tree. But beyond their admiration is their desire to avail of the comforts a sturdy tree could give them.

One wanderer was not contented with the comfort the leaves bring. " I can weave a bed with all that leaves" he told the man.

" But the tree will lose it's beauty" protested the man.

" Oh, you can look at it from the top, and you'll never notice that the leaves are thinner in number" He reasoned.

The other settlers heard this and and they too wanted a bed out of the leaves of the tree.

The man and the tree, although hurting, accepted the settler's reasoning. And then, they lived again in harmony.

One day, another settler talked to the man and said "I can build a house with those branches"

" But we can be protected by the branches just the way it is " The man protested. If we remove the branches, it will not be as sturdy as it used to be.

" But we will be more comfortable staying in a house." The settler reasoned. "Besides, we can be protected by the house that we will build."

When the other settlers heard this, they demanded a house be built from the branches of the tree.

The man and the tree gave in. The man thought that maybe after this, the settlers will be contented. He will instead tend to the tree so that it's branches and leaves will grow back. And it's beauty and strength restored.

So every day, the man tried everything to nurture the tree, while the settlers lie on the bed of leaves in the comfort of their houses. Until one day, although not fully recovered from the broken branches and missing leaves, the tree started to grow flowers.

The man was so pleased with the tree. " Tree, you may not look as beautiful as you used to be, but the scent of your flowers will draw the birds and the bees.Ahh, your beauty is restored". Contentment and relief can be seen on the man's face.

Then the settlers caught the exquisite scent of the flowers, and one by one the flowers started to disappear.

" If you remove the flowers, there will be no fruit later on." The man protested.

"Oh, stop being foolish" one settler smirked at him. " There will be enough flowers to grow into fruit." Then they went on, plucking the flowers that they could reach.

The man and the tree, contained their disappointment in their heart.

Then the days passed and the few flowers bloomed and became fruits. The man and the tree was pleased.

The man then decided to go down the hill for some things.

When the settlers saw this, they tried to get the fruits. But the only flowers that were left to grow into fruits were on the top most part of the tree, the settlers could not reach it from the ground.

" I will climb so we can get the fruits." One settler volounteered. Then he climbed. But he was tempted to try one fruit, just one fruit he thought. But he was so pleased with the sweetness of the fruit that he took another one. The other settlers saw this. Thinking that the settler up on the tree is outsmarting them, they demanded him to go down. So absorbed with eating the fruit that he did not notice the clamor of the settlers down the tree. No settler would settle for anything less, so one by one they climbed the tree, each wanting to come up first, each wanting to get more fruits than the other. There were very few sturdy branches, and the little branches that were starting to grow were stepped on. Many branches broke. Plenty of fruits were smashed and fell to the ground.

The tree stood there, helpless. With every settler pushing it's trunk and stepping on it's branches, the tree grew weaker and weaker.

Then the man arrived and saw what was happening. He got so mad and shouted at the settlers. " Look what you have done!" The man's voice was starting to quiver with so much anger. " You wasted the fruits with your selfishness." The man was trembling in rage and was close to tears as he stared at the crushed fruits lying on the ground.

" You are only sorry for your self because you will not be able to sell the fruits." One brave settler asnwered back at the man.

" Whoever thought I will sell these fruits? he asked with astonishment in his voice. " I came down for these baskets, so each house could have one to place the fruits during harvest time."

The settlers, having realized their mistake, retreated to their houses with their heads bowed down.

The man was left on his own, picking up the crushed fruits and the fallen branches.

During the night, the man, eyes closed, lay motionless under the tree, the roots keeping his back off the ground. When he opened his eyes to stare at the leaves of the tree, his gaze was met by the dark clouds that enveloped the sky. Then he cried unashamedly.

" Sorry tree, I was not very good to you. You have been so kind to me the moment I stepped on your hill. Your leaves sheltered me from the burning sun, your branches protected me from the rain. You gave me enough twigs and leaves to use for my fire, even provided fruits that I and the birds share." He spoke to the tree in between sobs. " You have been so kind to me, but your kindness was taken advantaged of. Because of me, you were exploited."

In the middle of the night, the man left the hill. Ashamed and in pain. He couldn't bear to look at the tree again, for he can see his failure, in every part of the tree. He failed in protecting the tree that gave him everything.

When the settlers learned that the man left. They rejoiced. No one will stop them from doing what they want. So they gathered more leaves to make as beds, and more branches to build more houses.

Then one day, a strong storm came. The houses that the settlers built were blown away, the bed of leaves flew with the wind. Each settler tried to seek the comfort of the big tree. One by one, the settlers gathered around it. But the tree is not as sturdy as it used to be. It grew weaker and weaker each time it's branches were cut off and everytime a settler climbs on it. Then, a sudden gushed of wind brought the tree down. The settlers stood there, wet, shivering and uncaring that the kind tree was almost lying on the ground.

Disappointed that the tree could no longer provide them their needs. The settlers left the hill and wandered again. Looking for the same kind, beautiful and sturdy tree.

But the man, realizing what could have happened to his beloved tree, went up the hill. He cried in anguish when he saw what happened to what was once a beautiful and sturdy but did not lose hope, it is a sturdy tree, he reasoned out. So every day he nurtured the tree. He tended to it. The man, the birds and the animal.

Until finally, the tree bounced back to it's health. "Ahh, you are still my beautiful and sturdy tree, even if you are lying down now." The man, a smile on his lips, laid his back on the trunk of the tree.

The man, the tree, the birds and the animals lived there in harmony.