The Little Apple Tree--A True Story with a Happy Ending

There once was an apple tree that wanted to grow. It stood tall and sturdy in the nursery waiting for someone to come buy it and plant it. Along came a certain man who thought he wanted an apple tree, so he paid for the little tree, took it home, and planted it in a hole dug just for the tree.

At first the little tree was happy, but it felt something wasn't right. The tree tried to reach deep into the ground, but its roots were bound up in something tight and they couldn't push through. The tree stood tall, and put out a few new leaves. It soaked up the sun. But try as it would, it didn't get any bigger.

Now the man who bought the tree noticed it wasn't getting any bigger. He thought perhaps it would be happier in another place in the yard, so he dug another hole, and moved the tree. As he placed the tree in the new hole he noticed the burlap tied around the root ball. "Hmm," he thought. "I forgot to cut the burlap. Maybe that's why the tree hasn't grown." And he cut the burlap, loosened the soil around the roots and replanted the tree in the new hole.

"AHH!" said the little tree. "That feels sooo much better and it wriggled its roots deep into the new soil. The tree put out lots of new leaves and was very happy, but it still stayed small, much to the man's dismay. He had been hoping the tree would get big and provide shade in the yard. He could just imagine its spreading branches heavy with fruit.

(He didn't realize fruit trees grow slowly and stay small so their fruit can be picked.)

 Even so, the tree stood strong in the winter months and was looking forward to spring.

When spring came the apple tree put out lots of new buds. Some of the buds turned into green leaves. The others opened themselves into lovely white apple blossoms. The little tree was very proud. The man and his wife came to inspect the tree and were very happy at all the leaves. They sniffed the blossoms and commented on what a pretty tree it would be someday.

A week later the man's wife discovered tiny apples where the blossoms had been. She brought the husband out to see. They talked happily about the apples they would have that fall. That night 3 deer came to visit the yard. They checked the bird feeder and nibbled at the seeds. Then they sniffed the apple tree. It smelled delicious. They nibbled the apple tree. It tasted delicious.

In the morning when the man and his wife looked out the window they were dismayed. What had happened to their little tree? Every leaf, blossom and bud was gone. "That's it!" stormed the man. "That tree has never done anything. I'm getting a different tree!" He dug the tree up and threw it on the bank behind the house. He went back to the nursery and replaced it with another tree, but this time he bought a bigger tree that the deer couldn't eat.

Several weeks later the wife was mowing the grass when she noticed something odd about the plants on the bank. There were new green shoots sticking up in the dead grass. She looked closer. The little apple tree still lay there, its roots exposed to the sun, but there were new leaves on the branches! She picked it up and took it to the shed. She rummaged around until she found a large pot and some planting mix. When her husband came home she showed him the new tree on the deck. "Where did you get it," he asked? "It's the apple tree! I found it on the bank and it looked like it really wanted us to try again."

The tree stood in its pot on the deck safe from the deer. The man and his wife watered it when it needed water and in the winter they protected it from the cold by keeping it in the garage where it could sleep. It is one year older and today it showed the man and his wife how happy it was in its pot, by once again putting on a display of lovely flowers.

The man and his wife are a little wiser now. They've learned some trees grow more quickly than others and some trees take more patience than others. They've promised this tree that they will take care of it until it is big enough for the deer to leave alone. Hopefully, they will live happily together for many years to come.

THE END

 (of the story! Not of the little tree)