Johnny Appleseed and His Choice
What decision did Johnny Appleseed have to make?
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"Johnny Appleseed and His Choice"
Johnny Appleseed always loved the forest and everything in it. Every day, he could be found climbing his favorite apple tree, rubbing his face against the rough bark, and breathing in the scent of apple blossom nectar. Johnny was a dreamy child. He was a kind soul with always a word of cheer. The animals of the forest knew him well and delighted to hear the pounding of his footsteps as he ran, the moment his chores were done, to the woods and his friends that lived there.
Johnny was not just a friend of the forest, though. He cared deeply for the children of his town and could always be counted on to play a game of hide-and-seek or swing from the branches of the trees that grew in the apple orchard. His parents were proud of his love for his family, and Johnny never failed to help his mother with the little ones. Winters were sometimes hard, and Johnny found himself indoors a great deal. But spring always found him in the orchard once again, cradled in his beloved trees.
One winter, the cold wind blew and blew and blew. Johnny's trees bent down low to brace themselves from the icy frost, and Johnny’s family curled up inside their home for weeks and months. Johnny did all he could to help his family. He sang to the little ones and told stories of warm times and days of play in the sun. Sometimes his stories did help, but more and more, the children would only shiver and listen to the wind howl as it blew snow up against the walls of their home.
Finally, it happened: Johnny’s family used the very last log in their fire. Johnny's mother looked at his father and nodded to the door. "No!" said Johnny as he saw his father reach for his ax. He ran to his mother. "Isn't there another way? We can't cut down my trees! Perhaps the cold will break; surely spring will come tomorrow, for it has been months and months!" His parents exchanged glances, and his father put down his ax. "Johnny," his mother said softly, "I know you want the trees to last forever and be your playground for always. But sometimes, we have to make hard choices. We can't always have what we want, but it does seem that we receive whatever it is we need, even if it's hard to tell sometimes."
Johnny thought for a moment. He looked at his family huddled together against the cold. Suddenly, he knew what he must do. Johnny walked to the door and handed his father the ax. Then, he went and picked up his own. "We will do it together if we must do it at all." And he smiled at his mother weakly.
That night, Johnny and his father came home with many armloads of freshly cut wood. The stove blazed merrily, and the smoky smell of wood fire filled the small cottage. His family warmed themselves gratefully by the fire, and Johnny told them stories of the orchard and the animals that lived there.
Soon, spring came at last. Johnny walked outside and greeted the sun. "Well," he thought to himself, "it will be time to plant the fields soon." He looked over to where the orchard lay. "Hmm, I wonder: Perhaps I could plant a new apple tree or two ..."