9. The Boy Who Hated Trees

One night Dick was told by his father to rise early the next morning and help set out some new trees. “I hate trees,” said Dick, “I want to go fishing. I wish I lived in a land where there were no trees!” Then Dick fell asleep, and in his dream he heard the queerest rustling noise, and then a voice called out, “Here is a boy who hates trees!” A procession of trees came toward him. The willow was weeping; the poplar was trembling; the aspen was quaking; the pine and elm and maple and oak were followed by the fruit trees, like the apple and pear and cherry, while the walnut and birch and palm slowly brought up the rear. When all was quiet the Pine began: “Here is a boy that hates trees, and says we are of no use!” “Yes,” said the Maple, “and this morning he ate some of my sugar.” “Yes,” said the Willow, “and he made a whistle out of me.” “Yes,” said the Palm, “and he fanned himself with one of my leaves.” “And he got his bicycle tire out of me, and his rubber boots too,” said another tree. The Elm said: “I have a plan. The wind will help us. The wind is our friend.” So the wind took Dick and hurled him off to a great desert and dropped him down in a land where there were no trees. Dick felt very lonely and was full of fright when he saw a bear coming toward him in the distance, and there was no tree to climb. How glad he was that he was mistaken and that it was not a bear coming, but camels, with men on them. The men beckoned him to get up and ride, which he was glad to do. Soon he saw the men bowing down and thanking God and then waving their hands. Dick looked and saw a spot of green grass, a spring of cool water, and one of the things he hated—a tree. He thought he had never seen anything so beautiful in all his life. He tumbled off the camel, ran toward the tree, and threw his arms about it, saying, “Dear tree, dear tree!”

The next morning Dick was glad to help his father plant the trees, and the school-teacher on Arbor Day said, “I think if good care will help the trees, they will get it from Dick.”