THE BOY AND THE APPLE TREE A long time ago, there was a huge apple tree.

A little boy loved to come and play around iteveryday. He climbed to the treetop, ate the apples, and took a nap under the shadow. He loved the tree and the tree loved to play with him. Time went by, the little boy had grown up and he no longer played around the tree every day. One day, the boy came back to the tree and he looked sad. Come and play with me, the tree asked the boy. am no longer a kid, do not play around trees any more the boy replied. want toys. need money to buy them. !orry, but do not have money, but you can pick all my apples and sell them. !o, you will have money. The boy was so e"cited. He grabbed all the apples on the tree and le#t happily. The boy never came back a#ter he picked the apples. The tree was sad. One day, the boy who now turned into a man returned and the tree was e"cited. Come and play with me the tree said. do not have time to play. have to work #or my #amily. $e need a house #or shelter. Can you help me% !orry, but do not have any house. &ut you can chop o## my branches to build your house. !o the man cut all the branches o# the tree and le#t happily. The tree was glad to see him happy but the man never came back since then. The tree was again lonely and sad.One hot summer day, the man returned and the tree was delighted. Come and play with me' the tree said. am getting old. want to go sailing to rela" mysel#. Can you give me a boat% said the man. (se my trunk to build your boat. )ou can sail #ar away and be happy. !o the man cut the tree trunk to make a boat. He went sailing and never showed up #or a long time. *inally, the man returned a#ter many years. !orry, my boy. &ut do not have anything

#or you anymore. +o more apples #or you, the tree said. +o problem, do not have any teeth to bite the man replied. +o more trunk #or you to climb on. am too old #or that now the man said. really cannot give you anything, the only thing le#t is my dying roots, the tree said with tears. do not need much now, ,ust a place to rest. am tired a#ter all these years, the man replied. -ood' Old tree roots are the best place to lean on and rest, come sit down with me and rest. The man sat down and the tree was glad and smiled with tears.

PAID IN FULL

A little boy came up to his mother in the kitchen one evening while she was #i"ing supper, and he handed her a piece o# paper that he had been writing on. A#ter his mom dried her hands on an apron, she read it, and this is what it said. *or cutting the grass. /0.11 *or cleaning up my room this week. /2.11 *or going to the store #or you. /.01 &aby3sitting my kid brother while you went shopping. /.40 Taking out the garbage. /2.11 *or getting a good report card. /0.11 *or cleaning up and raking the yard. /4.11 Total owed. /25.60 $ell, his mother looked at him standing there, and the boy could see the memories #lashing through her mind. !he picked up the pen, turned over the paper he had written on, and this is what she wrote. *or the nine months carried you while you were growing inside me. +o Charge. *or all the nights that 7ve sat up with you, doctored and prayed #or you. +o Charge. *or all the trying times, and all the tears that you7ve caused through the years. +o Charge. *or all the nights #illed with dread, and #or the worries knew were ahead. +o Charge. *or the toys, #ood, clothes, and even wiping your nose. +o Charge. $hen you add it up, the cost o# my love is. +o Charge. $hen the boy #inished reading what his mother hadwritten, there were big tears in his eyes, and he looked straight up at his mother and said, 8om, sure do love you. And then he took the pen and in great big letters he wrote. 9A : + *(;;.

A LESSON FROM A FROG TALE

A group o# #rogs were hopping contentedly through the woods, going about their #roggy business, when two o# them #ell into a deep pit. All o# the other #rogs gathered around the pit to see what could be done to help their companions. $hen they saw how deep the pit was, the rest o# the dismayed group agreed that it was hopeless and told the two #rogs in the pit that they should prepare themselves #or their #ate, because they were as good as dead. (nwilling to accept this terrible #ate, the two #rogs began to ,ump with all o# their might. !ome o# the #rogs shouted into the pit that it was hopeless, and that the two #rogs wouldn7t be in that situation i# they had been more care#ul, more obedient to the #roggy rules, and more responsible. The other #rogs continued sorrow#ully shouting that they should save their energy and give up, since they were already as good as dead. The two #rogs continued ,umping as hard as they could, and a#ter several hours o# desperate e##ort were <uite weary. *inally, one o# the #rogs took heed to the calls o# his #ellows. !pent and disheartened, he <uietly resolved himsel# to his #ate, lay down at the bottom o# the pit, and died as the others looked on in helpless grie#. The other #rog continued to ,ump with every ounce o# energy he had, although his body was wracked with pain and he was completely e"hausted. His companions began a new, yelling #or him to accept his #ate, stop the pain and ,ust die. The weary #rog ,umped harder and harder and 3 wonder o# wonders' *inally leapt so high that he sprang #rom the pit. Ama=ed, the other #rogs celebrated his miraculous #reedom and then gathering around him asked,

$hy did you continue ,umping when we told you it wasimpossible% >eading their lips, the astonished #rog e"plained to them that he was dea#, and that when he saw their gestures and shouting, he thought they were cheering him on. $hat he had perceived as encouragement inspired him to try harder and to succeed against all odds.

THE CRACKED POT

Once upon a time there was a water3bearer in ndia who had two large pots, each hung on each end o# a pole which he carried across his neck. One o# the pots had a crack in it, and while the other pot was per#ect and always delivered a #ull portion o# water at the end o# the long walk #rom the stream to the master7s house, the cracked pot arrived only hal# #ull. *or a #ull two years this went on daily, with the bearer delivering only one and a hal# pot #ull o# water in his master7s house. O# course, the per#ect pot was proud o# its accomplishments, per#ect to the end #or which it was made. &ut the poor cracked pot was ashamed o# its own imper#ection, and miserable that it was able to accomplish only hal# o# what it had been made to do. A#ter two years o# what it perceived to be a bitter #ailure, it spoke to the water3bearer one day by the stream. am ashamed o# mysel#, and want to apologi=e to you. $hy% asked the bearer. $hat are you ashamed o# % have been able, #or these past two years, to deliver only hal# my load because this crack in my side causes water to leak out all the way back to your master7s house. &ecause o# my #laws, you have to do all o# this work and you don7t get #ull value #rom your e##orts, the pot said. The water3bearer #elt sorry #or the old cracked pot, and in his compassion he said, As we return to the master7s house, want you to notice the beauti#ul #lowers along the path. ndeed, as they went up the hill, the old cracked pot took notice o# the sun warming the beauti#ul wild #lowers on the side o# the path, and this cheered it some. &ut at the end o# the trail, it still #elt bad because it had leaked out hal# its load, and so again it apologi=ed to the bearer #or its #ailure. The bearer said to the pot, :id you notice that there were #lowers only on your side o# your path, but not on the other pot7s side% That7s because have always known about your #law, and took advantage o# it. planted #lower seeds on your side o# the path, and every day while we walk back #rom the stream, you7ve watered them. *or two years have been able to pick these beauti#ul #lowers to decorate my master7s table. $ithout you being ,ust the way you are, he would not have this beauty to grace his house.

Cat and Rooster

Once upon a time in A#rica, roosters ruled cats. The cats worked hard all day and at night they had to bring all they had gathered #or the roosters. The king o# the roosters would take all the #ood #or himsel# and #or the other roosters. The roosters loved to eat ants. Thus, every cat had a purse hung round its neck, which it #illed with ants #or the king o# the roosters. The cats did not like the situation. They wanted to rid themselves o# the king so that the #ood they gathered through hard work and great di##iculty would be their own. &ut they were a#raid o# the roosters. The roosters had told the cats that rooster7s combs were made out o# #ire and that the #ire o# their combs would burn anyone who disobeyed them' The cats believed them and there#ore worked #rom early morning until night #or the roosters. One night, the #ire on the house o# 8rs. Cat went out. !he told her kitten, *lu##y, to bring some #ire #rom 8r. >ooster7s house. $hen *lu##y went into the house o# the rooster, she saw that 8r. >ooster was #ast asleep, his stomach swollen with the ants he had eaten. The kitten was a#raid to wake the rooster, so she returned home empty handed and told her mother what had happened. 8rs. Cat said, +ow that the rooster is asleep, gather some dry twigs and place them near his comb. As soon as the twigs catch #ire, bring them home. *lu##y gathered some dry twigs and took them to the rooster7s house. He was still asleep. *lu##y #ear#ully put the dry twigs near the rooster7s comb but it was no use, the twigs did not catch #ire. *lu##y rubbed the twigs against the rooster7s comb again but it was no use they would not catch #ire. *lu##y returned home without any #ire and told her mother, The roost7s comb does not set twigs on #ire. 8rs. Cat answered $hy can7t you do anything right' Come with me 7ll show you how tomake #ire with the rooster7s comb. !o together they went to the house o# 8r. >ooster. He was still asleep. 8rs. Cat put the twigs as near to the rooster7s comb as she could. &ut the twigs did not catch #ire. Then, shaking with #ear, she put her paw near the rooster7s comb and gently touched it. To her surprise, the comb was not hot, it was very cold, and it was ,ust red colored.

As soon as 8rs. Cat reali=ed that the roosters had lied to the cats about their combs, she ,oy#ully went out and told the other cats about the rooster7s tricks. *rom that day on, the cats no longer worked #or the roosters. At #irst, the king o# the roosters became very angry and said to the cats? will burn all o# your houses i# you do not work #or me' &ut the cats said, )our comb is not made o# #ire. t is ,ust the color o# #ire. $e touched it when you were sleep. )ou lied to us. $hen the king o# the roosters #ound out that the cats knew that he had lied to them, he ran away. +ow, whenever roosters see a cat, they scurry away, because to this very day they are a#raid o# cats.

The Sel !sh Man

Once upon a time, there was a sel#ish man. He liked everything to be his own. He could not share his belongings with anyone, not even his #riends or the poor. One day, the man lost thirty gold coins. He went to his #riend7s house and told him how he lost his gold coins. His #riend was a kind man. As his #riend7s daughter was coming #rom an errand she #ound thirty gold coins, when she arrived home, she told her #ather what she had #ound. The girl7s #ather told her that the gold coins belong to his #riend and he sent #or him. $hen the sel#ish man arrived, he told him how his daughter had #ound his thirty gold coins and handed then to him. A#ter counting the gold coins the man said that ten o# them was missing and had been taken by the girl as he had #orty gold coins. He #urther commented that he will recover the remaining amount #rom him. &ut the girl7s #ather re#used. The man le#t the gold coins and went to the court and in#ormed the ,udge there about what had taken place between him and the girl7s #ather. The ,udge sent #or the girl and her #ather, and when they arrived asked the girl how many gold coins did she #ind. !he replied thirty gold coins. The @udge that asked the sel#ish man how many gold coins did he lose and he answered #orty gold coins. The ,udge then told the man that the gold coins did not belong to him because the girl #ound thirty and not #orty as he claimed to have lost and then told the girl to take the gold coins and that i# any3 body is looking #or them he will send #or the girl. The ,udge told the man that i# anybody reports that they have #ound #orty gold coins he will send #or him. t was then that the man con#essed that he lied and that he lost thirty gold coins but the ,udge did not listen to him.

The Most Bea"t! "l Heart

One day a young man was standing in the middle o# the town proclaiming that he had the most beauti#ul heart in the whole valley. A large crowd gathered and they all admired his heart #or it was per#ect. There was not a mark or a #law in it. )es, they all agreed it truly was the most beauti#ul heart they had ever seen. The young man was very proud and boasted more loudly about his beauti#ul heart. !uddenly, an old man appeared at the #ront o# the crowd and said, $hy your heart is not nearly as beauti#ul as mine. The crowd and the young man looked at the old man7s heart. t was beating strongly ... but #ull o# scars. t had places where pieces had been removed and other pieces put in ... but they didn7t #it <uite right and there were several ,agged edges. n #act, in some places there were deep gouges where whole pieces were missing. The people starred ... how could he say his heart is more beauti#ul, they thought% The young man looked at the old man7s heart and saw its state and laughed. )ou must be ,oking, he said. Compare your heart with mine ... mine is per#ect and yours is a mess o# scars and tears. )es, said the old man, )ours is per#ect looking ... but would never trade with you. )ou see, every scar represents a person to whom have given my love..... tear out a piece o# my heart and give it to them ... and o#ten they give me a piece o# their heart which #its into the empty place in my heart ... but because the pieces aren7t e"act, have some rough edges, which cherish, because they remind me o# the love we shared. !ometimes have given pieces o# my heart away ... and the other person hasn7t returned a piece o# his heart to me. These are the empty gouges ... giving love is taking a chance. Although these gouges are pain#ul, they stay open, reminding me o# the love have #or these people too ... and hope someday they may return and #ill the space have waiting. !o now do you see what true beauty is% The young man stood silently with tears running down his cheeks. He walked up to the old man, reached into his per#ect young and beauti#ul heart, and ripped a piece out. He o##ered it to the old man with trembling hands.

The old man took his o##ering, placed it in his heart and then took a piece #rom his old scarred heart and placed it in the wound in the young man7s heart. t #it.... but not per#ectly, as there were some ,agged edges. The young man looked at his heart, not per#ect anymore but more beauti#ul than ever, since love #rom the old man7s heart #lowed into his. They embraced and walked away side by side.