The Old Man and the Little Tree

In a quiet village surrounded by tall mountains, there lived an old man named Hari. His back was bent, his hair was white, and his hands were rough like tree bark. He lived alone in a tiny cottage and spoke very little, but everyone in the village knew he was kind.

One day, children found Hari digging a hole near his house. “What are you doing, Grandpa Hari?” they asked.

“I’m planting a tree,” he said with a smile.

“But you’re so old! Will you live long enough to see it grow?” a boy asked honestly.

Hari chuckled and replied, “Maybe not. But someday, you will sit under its shade.”

The children didn’t understand then, but they helped him anyway. Together, they planted a small sapling. Every day, Hari would water it, protect it from goats, and talk to it as if it were a friend.

Seasons passed. The old man grew older and slower. One winter, Hari quietly passed away in his sleep. The village was sad, and they missed his warm smile.

Years later, that little tree had grown tall and strong. Its branches spread wide, giving shade to passersby. Birds built nests in it, and children played beneath it.

One boy, now grown up, told his daughter, “This tree was planted by an old man who knew he might never see it fully grown. But he did it for us.”

The little girl looked up and smiled. “Grandpa Hari was very kind.”

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Vidhi Manchanda was born on 10th October 2017 in Mohali. She lives in Chandigarh. She is in class 2 in Vivek High School, Chandigarh. It is her 7th story and she is very excited. When she was writing this story, she was very happy.