The tree stood
still and lifeless in the harsh and lonely desert. Its branches were completely
bare, with not even so much as a single bud. No pretty blooms to give a bit of
joy to people passing by on a long and tiring journey. No birds chirping busily
around it. No tired soul ever came to rest against its trunk, for no shade was
to be found there. There was nothing about the tree to make anyone say
“oh, how beautiful”. In fact, no one ever noticed it at all. The tree had
nothing to offer, and with no one to care for it, it looked as though it may
wither and die at any time.
Then one day, a
gardener passed by, carrying a shovel. He often took trips such as these to
look for interesting plants, shrubs and trees. But there was nothing of
interest about the tree. It was not even pretty to look at. But when the gardener
saw it, he stopped quickly. His heart was somehow touched by its bare, lonely
branches. It looked so unloved, and the gardener felt great compassion for it.
The gardener knew immediately what he would do, for he saw something no one
else could see. He spoke gently to the tree: “I must move you now, but it
will be all right. I will replant you by streams of water. And in time, you
will bear fruit. And leaves – oh, the beautiful leaves you’ll have! And such
grand blossoms. Just wait, little tree, you shall become great!”
With his shovel,
the gardener began to carefully dig a big circle around the base of the tree,
not too close, for he didn’t want to damage any of its roots. Digging with
great enthusiasm, his shovel finally reached beneath the tree. Lifting it
carefully, so as not to hurt it, he spoke softly, “It’s all right. My horse
is not far off. And he pulls a large sled, on which you will ride.”
With that, the
gardener lifted the tree slowly, placing it across his shoulders, and carried
it to the spot where his horse stood waiting. He fastened it with rope to the
sled, laying a soft blanket beneath it, to cushion its bark. “There, there,”
he assured the tree as he lovingly patted its trunk. “It will be a safe
journey.” The gardener took the tree far away, over land and sea, and after
many days, the tree reached its new home.
The gardener
carefully planted the tree, making sure it had the best soil possible and that
every root had room to reach into the ground and not be bent or bruised. For
the gardener loved the tree, and knew he could care for it as no one else
could. “I know you’ve been neglected, and that no one ever noticed you
before,” he said to it. “But now that I have noticed you, you
will never have to live an unlovely hopeless life again. I will give you the
best care, the richest food…and the most love.” The gardener kept his word,
coming daily to give the tree long and refreshing drinks of water. He fed its
soil rich food, which nourished it. The tree, that had once been an ugly gray
figure, fading into the desert sands, now sparkled with new life. There was
beautiful moss growing on its trunk, and its bark had become thick and hearty.
Bright green buds began to appear where new branches were growing.
The tree was
overwhelmed by the gardener’s attentive care. It could hardly believe it, but
when the gardener spoke to it, tenderly
nurturing it back to health as a parent would a sick child, the tree knew…it was
his pride and joy, his most treasured tree. “You are beautiful,” the
gardener said one day when he came to plant flowers around its base. “I will
make sure you are well cared for all your life,” he assured it. “And of
all the trees in the garden, none will grow as tall, or as wide, or as
strong as you.” Could this wonderful promise be true? Would the tree really
become all those things? It seemed too marvelous to imagine.
But the gardener
kept coming to the tree every day. Some days he would prune it, cutting off
parts of branches to allow the tree to grow fuller and more healthy. This
“trimming” troubled the tree, but the gardener always assured it, “It is a
good thing; you will see.” Some days he came to pull weeds that had grown
up around the tree’s base. This gave the flowers more room to grow, and
protected the tree from vicious weeds that would try to choke its roots so it
could not grow. The tree could not believe how loved it was, for the gardener
would let no harm come to it, and always took care of every detail. Some
days the gardener would just come to gaze at the tree, his priceless treasure,
with joy (and sometimes a tear) in his eyes.
Finally, after much
time had passed, the tree’s leaves began to sprout until, soon, they covered
whole branches. Before long, birds and other creatures of the forest came to
rest among its branches and enjoy its marvelous shade. This was a great season
for the tree. It had never felt so alive!
But all too soon,
winter came. The tree began to lose all of its greenery, and it grew quite
homely again. Oh, dear! How will the gardener love me now? it thought.
It began to fear the ugliness, and the cold. But the gardener came to it with
warm blankets and wrapped them securely around its trunk. “Don’t worry, my
tree,” he said. “You will touch frost, but you will not freeze. This
season is a part of life, and so you shall live on, after it is over, and be
more beautiful than when the winter came. You shall see.” With this, he
hugged the tree, bid it good night and went into the house.
Oh, how the wind
howled that night. Some of the trees branches creaked, and it feared being
blown over. But the gardener’s love had given it strong roots, and it hung on.
It was no longer a withering, dying tree, but a strong and healthy tree. It
would make it through the winter. Yes, indeed! Just as the gardener had
promised.
Spring came again,
and many seasons after that. Never did the tree feel afraid after that first
winter. It knew that the gardener had thought of everything, and that it would
always be treated in a loving way. As time went on, the tree grew taller,
wider, and stronger than those around it because of the special care the
gardener had given it. The years went by, and the tree grew older and more
beautiful. The gardener kept on watering, feeding, and encouraging the tree,
and though his hair grew gray, he always felt young when he was with his
treasured tree. It pleased his heart every time he looked at it. Not once was
he ever disappointed in the tree. Never did he frown at a knot or a broken
twig. He was just so happy to have found the tree when he did, and to have been
the one to give it a brand new start.
This dying,
forgotten tree from the dry, forbidding desert had caught the gardener’s eye,
and now, it was his prize--a glorious tribute to his tender care. It held a
place of honor in his garden. All the beauty it had once lost had been
restored, and even more. The gardener had loved it just as it was, and his love
had caused an unnoticed tree to become magnificent. Never did a person walk by
who didn’t stop to exclaim, Oh what a beautiful tree! Someone
must have loved it very much.
No, it could not
talk, but those who heard the tree’s remarkable story of transformation did not
hesitate to tell the tale, as you are hearing it now. Rooted deeply, it would
stand for many long years and become all that the gardener desired for it to
be. For he would never leave it, and would never stop caring for its needs.
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