The Ugly Tree

Long, long ago, in a forest there were thousands of tall and beautiful trees. They were happy, but proud of themselves. In the forest, there was also an ugly tree whose branches were badly twisted. Its roots had uneven curves. All the trees made fun of that ugly tree. 

“How are you,Ugly Tree?” the other trees always shouted and their laughter made the ugly tree feel sad. But, he never shouted back. The ugly tree thought, “I wish I were as beautiful as the other trees. Why did God do this to me? I can’t give shade to the travelers, and birds can’t make their nests on me. Nobody needs me.”

One day, a woodcutter came to the forest. He took a look at the trees and said, “These trees are lovely. I must cut them.” As soon as he picked up his axe the trees became frightened that he will chop them down.

‘Chop, Chop, Chop’ went the woodcutter’s axe and one by one the trees started to fall. “We are all going to be cut!” screamed one of the beautiful trees. Soon that tree too fell to the ground by the woodcutter’s axe.

By now, the woodcutter had come near to the ugly tree. He had just raised his axe when suddenly he noticed how twisted the ugly tree was. “Hmm! This twisted tree is useless to me. I cannot make logs out of this ugly tree,” he thought. And he moved to another beautiful tree. The ugly tree breathed a huge sigh of relief. He realized that by making him ugly, God had actually given him an advantage.

From that day on the ugly tree never complained. He was happy with his twisted branches. He never forgot how he was saved from the woodcutter’s axe, only because he was ugly.