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Young World
Trekking for a tree
DEEPTI RUTH AZARIAH
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Asha and Ashwin were disappointed that they did not have a tree to decorate. And then, Naana came up with a super plan!
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"Where’s the Christmas tree, Naana?” cried Asha as she bounded into her grandfather’s house. Every year Naana and Nanni brought a real pine tree for Christmas.Nana shook his head. “No tree this year, Asha,” he said. “There has been a forest fire, and many trees have been cut down to build lodges for the tourists.”
“Can’t we cut down just one tree, Naana?” asked Ashwin.
“If every one were to cut down just one tree, we’d soon have no forests left,” said Naana.
“It isn’t Christmas if we don’t have a tree,” said Asha.
The next morning, Naani woke them up early. “Hurry up. Get dressed,” she said. “You’re going on a special trip.”
“Where are we going?” asked Asha, but Naani wouldn’t say.
After breakfast, Naani drove up to the house in his big jeep.
Naani handed him a basket with a flask of hot tea, sandwiches and cake. “Where are we going?” asked Ashwin.
“Since we can’t have a Christmas tree at home, I thought we should do something about it,” said Naana. “We’re going tree planting.”
“Oh wow!” said Asha. Naana drove a long way up into the mountains. Then, they left the jeep and walked up a slope to the edge of a burnt forest. A forest officer was waiting for them.
“It isn’t planting season, but we need to get trees growing again,” he said. “I’ll show you what to do.”
Soon the tiny group was planting trees. Asha and Ashwin planted half a dozen trees.
“That’s good work,” said Dorji, the forest officer. “if you come back next year, the trees will be at least a foot tall. Soon we’ll have a big forest and you can have a real pine Christmas tree again.”
“It’s time for our lunch,” said Naana. “Planting pines is hard work. Won’t you share our food?”
So they sat down to a hearty meal. Suddenly Asha squealed.
“Oh look! There’s a little red fox watching us.”
“He’s hungry, poor fellow,” said Dorji. “We have lots of leftovers,” said Asha. “I wish we could leave them for the animals.”
“Perhaps we can,” said Naana. “I have some string, and there’s some bread. We can string up bits of bread and hang them on the branches of the pines.”
“The birds would love that,” cried Asha.
So Ashwin and Asha made ‘bread-strings’ and draped them on the branches.
“You know Ashwin, it looks just like a Christmas tree,” said Asha.
Then they both had to run down the slope, for Naana was callng them. Behind them two birds swooped down on the bread-laden branches. They chirped happily and Ashwin thought they were saying “Merry Christmas.”
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