蘋果樹

從前有一棵樹，她好愛一個小男孩。每天男孩都會跑來，收集她的葉子，把葉子編成皇冠，伴起森林裡的國王。男孩會爬上樹幹，抓著樹枝盪起鞦韆，吃吃蘋果。他們會一起玩抓迷藏，玩累了，男孩就在他的樹蔭下睡著。男孩好愛這棵樹，好愛喔！樹好快樂！

日子一天天的過去，男孩長大了，樹常常好孤單。 有一天男孩來到樹下，樹說：「來啊，孩子，來，爬上我的樹幹，抓著我的樹枝盪鞦韆，吃吃頻果，在我的樹蔭下玩耍，快快樂樂的。」 「我不是小孩子了，我不要爬樹和玩耍。」男孩說，「我要買東西來玩，我要錢。妳可以給我一些錢嗎？」 「真抱歉，」樹說，「我沒有錢。我只有樹葉和頻果。孩子，拿我的頻果到城裡去賣。這樣，你就會有錢，你就會快樂了。」 於是男孩爬到樹上，摘下她的頻果，把頻果通通帶走了。 樹好快樂。 男孩好久沒有再來……樹好傷心。

有一天，男孩回來了，樹高興地發抖，她說：「來啊，孩子，爬上我的樹幹，抓著我的樹枝盪鞦韆，快快樂樂的。」 「我太忙了，沒時間爬樹。」男孩說，「我想要一間房子保暖，我想要妻子和小孩，所以我需要房子，你能給我一間房子嗎？」 「我沒有房子，」樹說，「森林就是我的房子，不過你可以砍下我的樹枝去蓋房子，這樣你就會快樂了。」 於是男孩砍下了她的樹枝，把樹枝帶走去蓋房子。 樹好快樂.

可是男孩好久都沒有再來，所以當男孩再回來時，樹好快樂，快樂得幾乎說不出話來。 「來啊，孩子，」她輕輕地說，「過來，來玩啊！」 「我又老又傷心，玩不動了。」男孩說，「我想要一條船，可以帶我離開這裡，妳可以給我一艘船嗎？」 「砍下我的樹幹去造船吧！這樣你就可以遠航，你就會快樂。」樹說。 於是男孩砍下她的樹幹造了條船，坐船走了。 樹好快樂，但不是真的。

過了好久好久，那男孩又再回來了。 「我很抱歉，孩子，」樹說，「我已經沒有東西可以給你了，我的頻果沒了。」 「我的牙齒也咬不動頻果了。」男孩說。 「我的樹枝沒了，你不能在上面盪鞦韆。」 「我太老了，沒有辦法在樹枝上盪鞦韆。」 「我的樹幹沒了，你不能爬。」 「我太累了，爬不動的。」 「我真希望我能給你什麼，可是我什麼也沒了。我只剩下一塊老樹幹。我很抱歉……。」 「我現在要的不多，」男孩說，「只要一個安靜可以休息的地方。我好累好累。」 「好啊！」樹一邊說，一邊努力挺直身子，「正好啊，老樹根是最適合做下來休息的。來啊，孩子，坐下來，坐下來休息。」 男孩坐了下來，樹好快樂……。

【心得】 那棵樹，就好像我們的爸爸、媽媽，我們就好像那個小男孩，小時候，我們總是圍繞在爸爸、媽媽的周圍玩耍，漸漸地長大後，會離開父母的身邊，而且不常回來。而且，每次回來，就是不快樂的時候，不然就是有什麼需要的時候。而父母都會把他們身上最好的、最符合我們需要的東西交給我們，這時我們總是拿了東西，轉身就走，留下渴望我們留在他們身旁的父母，凝視著漸小的背影。 雖然如此，他們在心中，卻是不斷地說著「希望他會快樂，祝福他一路上順利、平安。」當我們累時，他們就伸出雙手懷抱著我們，讓我們安穩地在他們的懷中休息，不受吵鬧。我們對他們予取予求，不但如此，而且還都「美夢成真」。但是他們卻都無怨無悔，而且不求回報。 他們有這樣子的義務對我們嗎？沒有。 那又為了什麼使他們這樣做？只因為愛！我想只有愛的力量才那麼大。而我們摸摸自己的心，我們是以什麼樣的「愛」去回饋給他們呢？茶來伸手、飯來張口？動不動發脾氣？把在外受到的委屈都發洩在他們身上？當他們孤單的時候我們在哪裡？當他們需要我們時候我們在哪裡？ 我覺得這是一個很好的故事，也是一個很值得我們思考的問題！

Learning to see an imperfect person perfectly....chicken soup for the soul!!!

They have been married for two years.
He loves literature, and often posts his work on the net,
but nobody ever reads them.

He is also into photography and he handles their wedding photos.
He loves her very much.
Likewise with her.
She has a quick temper, and always bullies him.

He is a gentle man, and always gives in to her.
Today, she's being "wilful" again.

Her: "Why can't you be the photographer for my friend's wedding?
She promised she'd pay."
Him: "I don't have time that day."
Her: "Humph!"
Him: "Huh?"
Her: "Don't have time? Write less of those novels,
and you will have all the time you need."
Him: "I...someone will definitely recognize my work some day."
Her: "Humph! I don't care, you'll have to do it for her.
Him: "No."
Her: "Just this once?"
Him: "No."

Negotiation's broken.
So, she gave the final warning: "Give me a Yes within three days,or else..."

First day.
She "withheld" the kitchen, bathroom, computer,refrigerator,television, hi-fi...
except the double bed, to show her "benevolence".
Of course, she has to sleep on it too.
He didn't mind, as he still has some cash in his pockets.

Second day.
She conducted a raid and removed everything from his pockets, and warned,
"Seek any external help, and you bear the consequences."

He's nervous now.
Night.
On the bed. He begs for mercy, hoping that she'll end this state.
She doesn't give a damn.
No way am I giving in, whatever he says.
Until he agrees.

Third day.
Night.
On the Bed.
He's lying on the bed, looking to one side.
She's lying on the bed, looking to the other side.

Him: "We need to talk."
Her: "Unless it's about the wedding, forget it."
Him: "It's something very important."

She remains silent.

Him: "Let's get a divorce."
She did not believe her ears.
Him: "I got to know a girl."

She's totally angry, and wanted to hit him.
But she held it down, wanting to let him finish.
But her eyes already felt wet.
He took a photo out from his chest.
Probably from his undershirt pocket,
that's the only place she didn't go through yesterday.
How careless.

Him: "She's a nice girl."

Her tears fell.

Him: "She has a good personality too."

She's heartbroken, because he puts a photo of
some other girl "close to his heart".

Him: "She says that she'll support me fully in my pursue
for literature after we got married."

She's very jealous, because she said the same thing in the past.

Him: "She loves me truly."

She wishes to sit up and scream at him: "Don't I?"

Him: "So, I think she won't force me to do something that I don't want to do."

She's thinking, but the rage won't subside.

Him: "Want to take a look at the photo I took for her?"
Her: ".....!"

He brings the photo before her eyes.
She's in a total rage, hits his hand away and leaves a burning
mark of a slap on his face.

He sighs.
She cries.
He puts the photo back to his pocket.
She pulls her hand back under the blanket.
He turns off the light, and sleeps.
She turns on the light, and sits up.
He's asleep.
She lost sleep.
She regrets treating him the way she treated him.
She cried again, and thought about a lot of things.
She wants to wake him up.
She wants to have an intimate talk with him.
She doesn't want to push him anymore.
She stares at his chest.
She wants to see how the girl looks.
She slips the photo out.
She wanted to cry, and she wanted to laugh.
It's a nicely taken photo of herself.
A photo he took for her.
She bends down, and kissed him on his cheek.
He smiled. He was just pretending to be asleep.


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You learn to love, not by finding a perfect
person,

But by learning to see an imperfect person
perfectly.