Once upon a time there was a little yellow farm house next to a lake. Inside this house was a little family who's only joy in life was to spend time with each other and live off what their land gave them. Mother picked apples from the apple tree at the side of the house and sowed the vegetable garden. Father fixed up their cozy house and chopped wood from the forest across the lake. They had a little girl named Gloria who would give a hand where she could. Sometimes she would help her father fish for dinner in the lake and sometimes she would help her mother gather eggs in the hen house. Mostly she loved to pick blackberries from the bushes surrounding the house and also climb the big oak tree that grew strong and tall in the front yard.
There was one other tree that lived in the family's yard. A small spindly tree, it did not give much shade. The little tree did not bear any fruit and its skinny trunk and wiry branches made it unsuitable for climbing. Every morning Father came outside to milk the cow and shook his head thinking how unattractive this little tree was. The little tree spent its days watching in envy the lives of the other trees in the yard. It dreamed that Mother would rest herself in the shade of its leaves as she did under the apple tree. If only once little Gloria would lift herself up upon its branches and talk to it like she would often do with the big oak. But the little tree knew that its foliage was sparse compared to the heavy branches of the apple tree and its size a mere trifle to the immense thickness of the great oak. Sometimes Gloria would wrap her arms around the oak and imagine how it would take five of her to reach all the way around.
Spring came and the apple tree was glorious with blossoms while the oak shone green and majestic in the crisp spring air. The little tree tried as it might but only could sprout a few new leaves unnoticed by the family. It was during this time that Father began to wait upon Mother a little more than usual. The little tree watched as Gloria would lean her head against her mother's belly as they drank lemonade on the porch.
The months became warmer and the family spent much time by the lake soaking in the sun and splashing in the cool water. The little tree watched as Mother's stomach seemed to grow larger every day. Father began to make his trips to the forest beyond the lake to bring back firewood. The little tree did not think on this much as it brought frightening images of chopped up wood to its mind.
The oak trees leaves began to turn vibrant colors and the apples began to grow plentiful on the apple tree as the air began to cool. The little tree's few leaves turned a dull brown and he watched them in despair as they floated to the ground. Mother's belly was now very swollen and the little tree knew that soon a baby would come just as Gloria once had. However, a cloud began to form over the family because Father was becoming tired and weak as the fall slowly turned to winter.
Soon the ground began to freeze and snow made its slow progression from the sky into the yard by the little farm house. Father became so sick that he had to stop making trips to the forest and stay in bed. Gloria did not skate on the frozen lake but instead stayed in to care for both her parents.
On a particularly dark evening the snow began to flurry about and thicken until the little tree could not see past his branches. Inside the house he heard Mother cry and knew the baby was near. Inside the farm house the new baby was born while Father lay unconscious in sickness and sweat. Gloria tried to help her mother as well she could. Mother began to feel the the frozen air seep into the house as the blizzard worsened. She and Gloria shivered as they watched the last log burn into cinders in the fireplace. With tears in her eyes Mother told Gloria if they could not keep the fire going this cold night they could lose the new baby. It was up to her to go get the axe and find firewood. Little Gloria fetched her father's axe and lifted it in her small hands. Her arms could barely carry the weight but she made her way to the door to do as her mother bid. As she turned the knob the door flew open with the wind and Gloria could see the white wall of the storm. She made her way out dragging the heavy axe and realized that if she strayed far she would never be able to make her way back to the house in the blinding snow. Her heart dropped as she realized this and looked about the yard. The oak tree was far too immense for her to chop down and the apple tree in the side yard was not visible through the blizzard. Then Gloria spotted the spindly branches of the little tree through the snow. The tree watched the small figure move through the storm towards it and saw with despair the glint of metal as Gloria swung with all her might, then there was darkness.
The ground thawed and snow began to melt. Spring had arrived. Father had slowly recovered from his illness and the new baby was rosy cheeked and fat. As the sun rose Father walked out with a cane into the morning air to greet the chirping of the newly born swallows. In the yard a jagged tree trunk jutted out of the lawn. Next to it a small and seemingly insignificant sapling sprouted as the sun shown down upon it. Slowly the little tree opened its eyes from its very long rest and saw that the world was very different looking than he remembered. He was very small and could see the remnants of his old trunk next to him. Around him and his old trunk a circle of daisies turned their petals towards him in delight.
Mother came out of the house with the new baby in her arms and walked towards the little sprouting tree. She exclaimed joy at the sight of the sapling and the family gathered round. "Here, it has grown back!", she said. "This is the tree that saved your life little one", she said to the baby."Without it we would surely have frozen. I planted daisies around its trunk to remind us of that night and celebrate the little tree that gave so much."
The little tree was so happy it grew two inches before their eyes and the oak and apple trees looked upon its tiny leaves in admiration of its bravery.
THE END
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