Tuesday, December 30, 2014

104. Aesop's Fables - The Ugly Tree

Long time ago there was a dense forest. The forest had many trees. They were tall, leafy and had beautiful barks and branches spreading around. The trees were happy and proud of themselves.
 Among the beautiful trees, there was an ugly tree. The tree was had a twisted bark and its branches were bent on one side. It looked unappealing and crooked. The other trees of the forest mocked at him. The ugly tree felt dejected and very sad, but never raised his voice against them. He often thought to himself, 'Why has God made me so deformed and ugly? I wish I was beautiful like other trees, and be happy as they are. My bark is slanting, so I cannot provide shade to any traveler, neither do bird come and nest on my branches. No one looks me nor needs me. Pity on me God!', saying this the ugly tree wept quietly.

Years passed by. Gradually humans came and settling around the forest. They often came to forest for collecting firewood.


One day, a man came to the forest for fetching wood. He took his axe and started chopping a tall tree in want of good wood. The other beautiful trees who stood nearby feared the same fate. They said, 'He will axe us too for want of our good wood. None of us will survive'.
The woodcutter came daily and axed a tree each day. Thus all beautiful tree befell to the woodcutter's work. One day, after he collected good wood, the woodcutter looked around and said, 'All good wood has been gathered. Only this crooked tree remain. It is worthless for me and will not serve my purpose'.

When the ugly tree, heard the woodcutter he was relieved. He saw the woodcutter walking away with his axe and logs, and gratified God. He said, 'God, you made me ugly. It worked as a boon for a me and I am thankful to you for the way you made me'.

The ugly tree never complained again about his appearance. He began living happily from that day on. He enjoyed the forest rain, swayed in winds and happily listened to the songs of forest birds.

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