THE LAUGHING TREE

In a remote village of Kerala there was a primary school. In front of the small school building there was a tree. As soon as the schools opened after the vacations the tree started to blossom. After some days, when the classes became crowded the tree began its sensitivity to the teachings and the students' response to it. when ever the students are telling wrong or foolish answers, they heard a laughing sound and had seen the tree is showering flowers. If they tell one wrong answer the tree puts one flower. the tree put down its flowers as per the numbers of foolish answers the students or teachers said.The students became furious, as always the tree used to laugh on their foolishness. Teachers also became fed up with the tree because sometimes, they were not an exemption for foolishness. The students look to the tree immediately after the teachers tell something. If then flowers are put by the tree it meant that the teachers were wrong, and the students realized it.One day the teachers and students collectively decided to cut off the tree which is always laughing on them. Equipped with axes and spades the students and teachers approached the tree to cut take out its roots, the tree began to laugh. Flowers began to fell aplenty. The tree showered and showered flowers. The students and teachers surprised, why the tree is laughing when they are to cut and uproot it. They looked each other.

Youngest of the students, a nursery student told in a screaming voice : We are going to do a great foolishness, that’s the reason that flowers are showered by the tree. Don’t cut the tree, it will be a great foolishness. But we can request the tree to shower flowers, when we say good things and correct answers only.

The tree agreed and said, I will never reveal your wrong things, I will be happy, if always you try to say good answers and good things, I will not laugh for your foolishness.

From that day the students began to study well and the teachers started to teach them well the lessons. The tree remained ever flowering. The whole atmosphere was filled with the fragrance of flowers.

story written & posted by

S.SALIMKUMAR