The Travelers and The Plane-Tree
Aesop | Greece
Two tired travelers rest under a plane tree, one calls it useless, but the tree reminds them of its shade's value.
Once upon a time, on a hot summer day, two travelers were walking down a dusty road. They were tired and sweaty because of the burning sun above. They decided to stop and rest at noon, right under the wide and cooling branches of a big Plane-Tree.
As they sat down to relax in the cool shade, one of the travelers looked at the tree and said to his friend, "What a strange tree this Plane-Tree is! It doesn't have any fruit, and it doesn't seem to be useful to anyone."
Just as he finished saying those words, the Plane-Tree spoke in a kind yet firm voice, "How can you call me useless? Aren't you both resting under my shade right now? Aren't you escaping from the hot sun thanks to me?"
Both travelers were surprised. They looked at each other, then at the tree. They realized that the tree was right. They had been enjoying its shade and hadn't thought about how useful that was.
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