The Life Of A Tree

Sonu was tired, he sat under the shade of the big mango tree. Since morning he had been busy cutting logs in the factory. Though the new machine has arrived still manual efforts were required, his coworkers sat at a little distant opening their lunch boxes. Sonu was poor, his livelihood was entirely dependent upon rotating and sawing the outer sides of a log into squared boards of wooden ply's. He was paid less and to run a family of five with so less money was difficult. He exhausted every sweat of his to earn his bread. He opened his lunch box. Two pieces of chapati an onion and pickle, that was all for lunch.

He was about to take a bite, when a drop of water fell on his hand. He looked above....no there were no birds above to have pooed on him .He neglected and started eating again....when there were few more drops of water falling in...Sonu quizzically look above...no sign of rain....the sun was scorching and over head. As he was thinking what these drops of water could be of, he heard a weeping.....someone was weeping nearby...he looked towards his coworkers, they were done with their lunch and were leaving....Sonu stood up to take a round of the tree....no..no one was in sight. The loo was blowing harsh. Only the sound of the wind across the dried field was heard, again Sonu heard the weeping, he called out, "who is it?"..no reply, again he asked, "Who is weeping?" Then a soft voice replied, "Its me....the mango tree"

Sonu could not understand, how would a tree speak? The branches swayed down to stroke Sonu... he was scared, the tree said again, "Don't be afraid Sonu....I will not harm you". But why are you weeping?" asked Sonu.

The tree then said, "I heard them, I am the last one and would be cut down early tomorrow, they have cut down all my friends, long long ago we were all in this mango grove, the one after the other we were all cut down. We were so happy together, our branches spread together, giving shades to travelers from the heat of the sun, shelter to birds. Many children used to play hide and seek around us, they used to hand swings on our branches. They would climb us up with the support if our strong branches and eat delicious mangoes...during the season we were filled with ripe and sweet mangoes, the smell and taste of which spread wide across, so happy were we, but now they have cut down the entire grove, they sliced our trunk made logs and took away, I am the only left now and they will cut me down tomorrow morning. "The tree started weeping again.

Sonu fell pity on the tree. The large brown trunk with its wide spreading branches and leaves in it stood strong holding the birds nest, it had seen so many adversities, the wind, storm, rain, thunder...…climate had changed, seasons had changed but the brown strong trunk stood strong holding all its branches and fruits intact, birds were dependent upon its dense branches with leaves, travelers were dependent upon its shade to get relief from the sun.

Trees makes our nature complete, why do people cut down the trees to make furniture's, houses, luxurious goods, papers and what not!!! Sonu understood he had been doing wrong sawing and rolling the logs....they were being brutally cut down....he decided to leave the job and set to do something to save trees and protect them.....

Suddenly a loud voice called his name "Sonu, Sonu....get up...the master is looking for you..."Sonu had been dreaming all this time...he had fallen asleep under the shade of the tree and he wasn't aware. He stood look his lunch box and walked back to his home without listening to his coworker. He would from now on save trees, plant saplings, he would try to do as much as possible to stop the cutting down of the trees.