TREEFRIEND

Raghava, a cute little boy,lived in a small village with his parents and grand parents.Raghava's grand father was a Nature Lover.He spent most of his time in grooming the plants.He loved to water the plants and trees,watching them blooming with beautiful flowers and giving yummy fruits.

Raghava learnt walking, holding his grand father's little finger,in his garden,enjoying the fragrance of the wet mud and the flowers and relishing the fresh fruits of the garden.

Raghava's love for plants and trees grew along with him.He became five years old and was going to school.There he learnt a lot more about the plants and his love for nature was multiplied.

One day while returning from school he saw a baby plant on the edge of the road . He saw that it might get trodden by any pedestrian or by any cart or by the cattle returning home after grazing in the Meadows.Carefully he dug out the plant,brought home and showed it to his grand father.He identified it as a Peepal plant.Both of them went back in to their garden and planted it in a safe corner and watered the plant.

Next day morning to the excitement of Raghava the plant was standing erect and swinging its cute little leaves in the morning breeze.Now it was Raghava's daily routine to say good morning to the plant,cleaning the surroundings and watering the plant.The budding leaves and branches filled him with happiness.

The plant was growing strongly and so was Raghava.Raghava entered in to fifth class
and had a lot of home work to do. but he never neglected the plant.After returning from school it was his habit to sit under the shade of the growing plant and complete his home work.He shared all his thoughts with the plant. He called the Plant, 'FRIEND'.

The 'Friend' was growing in to a big tree.Suddenly one day Raghava's father decided to cut down the tree.The next day morning when Raghava went in to the garden he saw to his astonishment,two woodcutters were preparing themselves to cut down the Friend. Raghava screamed loudly and ran towards his Friend and stopped the woodcutters from cutting down it.Raghava pleaded his father not to allow the woodcutters to cut the tree.But his father was determined in cutting down the tree.Raghava ran crying to his grandfather.But he could not find him as he went to the next town to visit his childhood friend.

Raghava stopped crying and decided to convince his father. He went back to the garden and asked his father why he wanted to cut the tree.Then his father said that it might cause damage to the walls of the house and might not allow other plants to grow in the garden when it was grown in to a big tree.

Raghava saw a point in his father's argument.But destruction is not a solution for all the problems.Then he remembered that while planting the tree his grand father had calculated the distance between the house and the plant and felt assured that it was safe when it was grown up.Raghava reminded this to his father.The other plants in the garden were away from the shade of the tree.So there was no danger to the nourishment of the plants.The shade of the tree would keep the surroundings cool and fresh.Finally Raghava's father agreed but not convinced fully.The 'FRIEND' was saved.

Years passed by. Raghava became an agricultural graduate and decided to look after his agricultural lands and lived in his house still sharing all his feelings with his Friend.

One day a severe storm struck the village. All the windows and the doors were shattered in Raghava's house.The roof was torn out.His garden was filled with rain water. All the plants were merged in the water.But the 'Friend' stood erect in the garden. All the members in Raghava's family went in to the garden and took shelter on the low branches of the 'FRIEND' till the rain water receded.The neighbourhood families also took shelter on the branches of the 'FRIEND'.

All the families went to their houses praising Raghava and his 'FRIEND'for the shelter at the time of calamity.Raghava's father then realised the necessity of the trees.The branches of the FRIEND were utilised to re build the house. FRIEND stood proudly in the garden of Raghava with new branches. Now Raghava's son is learning to walk, holding Raghava's father's small finger, under the shade of the 'FRIEND' enjoying the fragrence of the wet mud and flowers and relishing the fresh fruites.......

SAVE THE TREE. THE TREE SAVES YOU.