Chapter Seven: The Apple Tree.

Once upon a time, a girl planted an apple tree in her yard.

The girl took good care of her tree carefully, with help from her mother and her father; they helped her water the seed carefully, and it grew into a small, healthy shoot.

As the years passed, the little shoot grew into a strong and healthy little tree. The girl continued tend to her tree lovingly; the tree's leaves grew shiny, as though the girl had waxed them, and it often bore beautiful white blossoms, which everyone admired prettily. When the girl grew older, her father and mother told her that she was growing up, and she must learn to care for the tree herself.

As the years passed, the tree bore its first small crop of apples. The girl was quite disappointed, because she had looked forward to seeing a treeful of apples, but she cheered up, for the taste of the first harvest is always sweet. She picked all the apples she could find, and gave them away; the children whom she longed to play with let her join them, for she had given them some apples.

Ah, but then, as she grew older she began to pay less attention to the tree. Often she would forget to water it, or to feed it with fertilizer. The poor tree began to look rather tired and miserable; the leaves were no longer shiny and fewer and fewer blossoms appeared. Soon, the tree stopped flowering altogether. It was a sad sight. Meanwhile, little girl spent all her time playing games with her new friends, and in no time at all the poor tree began to look dry and withered. She had forgotten all about it.

One day, the girl's father felt like eating some apples, and so he asked his daughter for an apple from her tree. The girl ran out to pick one for him, but to her dismay, she found the tree withered and dying, and not a single apple to be seen. Seeing how she had neglected her tree, her father spanked her soundly, whilst her mother cried bitterly, for she had not imagined her child to be so irresponsible.

Angry at her parents, the girl went back to her friends, but alas, they began to shun her, as she had no more apples to give them. How lonely she felt! She crept back home, still weeping, and her parents wept with her. Together, they tried to save the tree by tending it with the care that they had neglected to give it earlier.

Soon, the tree began to grow healthy again. The leaves were once again shiny and plump, and in no time at all the little yard smelled sweet, for the tree began to flower again. The seasons passed, and glossy red apples sprouted abundantly; happily, the little family set to picking them, and had a merry feast to celebrate the harvest.

Sadly, the little tree had to face yet another trial, for weeds sprouted madly about it, and stole its water. Try as she might, the girl was not able to pull any of the weeds out, for she was not strong enough, and neither was she able to heft enough water for both the weeds and the tree. The tree began to bear less and less fruit, and the apples grew smaller, and less sweet.

What is she to do? If apples are no longer sweet, what can make them sweet again?

Intermission I: The Ruffian Coach Driver.

What shall one do, when one crosses the road, only to have a ruffian of a driver force his way through the crowd, and continue driving, heedless of the safety of the pedestrians?

What should one do, when said vehicle knocks into you?

Has he not broken the law?

Would you not say that a kick on said vehicle was well deserved?

Think on it.

What should one do then, if the ruffian parks his vehicle and chases after oneself, dragging one out of the line one is standing in, shouting and cursing one for kicking his vehicle (conveniently forgetting his own fault in causing this sorry mess), loudly proclaming one as being insolent?

And what ought one do, if he continually tries to goad one into a fight, though one attempts to ignore him?

And what when he still strikes one on the face, although one has apologized?

Should one strike back?

But someone did not. Someone walked away, instead of demeaning himself to the level of such lowlife ruffians, for he knew, understood that to talk common sense and righteousness to a blockhead was akin to preaching morals to a cow.

And so, he lowered down the fist poised to strike back, allowing the guard to lead the blockhead away.

Never has this author been prouder of him than then; fortunate I am, parce que j'ai trouvé ont un véritable gentilhomm.

Chapter Six: The Humble Gift.

Once upon a time, there lived a little girl who wanted to give her mother a present. Now one fine day, this little girl ran out to the fields, thinking hard about what to give her mother, and what her mother would like. So she walked by the stream, pondering. Suddenly, she saw a beautiful stone lying in the stream, so wonderful that she wanted at once to get it for her mother. Ah, but then, try as she might, she could not wade to the stone, as the stream was too deep, and neither could she haul it in to the bank, for it was too far away.

And so, with a big sigh, she walked on sadly, trying not to think about the beautiful stone. She walked and walked, and finally stopped to rest under a big tree. Now suddenly the little girl looked up, and saw some shiny delicious looking fruit hanging on the tree. She thought to herself, 'I'll pick some for mother; she'll like to eat these, they look sweet. And so she tried to climb the tree. but try as she might, she could not climb the tree, for the trunk was too smooth, and she was too short to reach the branches. The little girl sat down to think, and thought to use a stick to poke the fruit down, but in the end she gave up, for still she was too short to reach the fruit. And so she walked on.

On and on she walked. By and by, she stopped by a clear pool. In it she saw many colourful fishes swimming gaily, lovely to look at. And so she thought, 'Aha, I shall catch one of these for mother instead, and put it in a bowl, it will soothe her eyes.' Ah, but then, try as she might, she could not catch any of the fish, for they were clever, and swam to hide deep in the weeds as she tried to grab them with her small hands. And so the little girl climbed out the pool wet, disappointed, and even sadder still.

And so she walked on. After a long while, the little girl turned to go home, as she had been out for a long time, and the sky was growing dark. Suddenly, she threw her her head up to look at the sky, and saw many beautiful jewels embedded in the velvet clouds, shining, twinkling in the dark. She reached out her hand to grasp them, but try as she might, she could not reach a single one of them, for they were too high up, far out of her reach. In despair, she sat down to cry, for she really wanted to bring back a wonderful present for her mother, yet all her efforts had been in vain, and she had not been able to get the stone, or the fruit, or the fish.

And so the little girl went home, and lay down to sleep sadly in her little bed.

The next morning, the little girl woke up feeling a little happier, and she went out to play with her ducklings. Suddenly, her eye fell upon some wildflowers that grew by the path, and reaching out to pick them, she saw more daisies and dandelions and bluebells further down the path. Excitedly, she ran along the path, gathering as many flowers as she could, tying them into a pretty bundle, saying to herself, 'There. I hope mother will like these, but they are so simple'. And so, she ran back to the house to give them to her mother.

And how did her mother react? Dear Reader, you shall decide the ending yourself. Good night.