What is nature? It is the sun, moon, stars, trees, plants, flowers, rivers, mountains etc. Close your eyes and see these things in your mind. How lovely nature is! There is so much peace and joy in it!

Story

What happened to the trees?

Suresh loved to watch TV all the time. Although he had many toys to play with and a big garden to run around, all that he did was to sit with his eyes glued to the TV set. His mother tried to arouse his interest in other things but in vain. His father who was a gardener, would try to get him to help in the garden, but he would only run back into the house and switch on the TV again.

His parents were really worried about him. The more they tried to stop him, the more gloomy and morose he would get. He loved watching violent films in which the heroes waved swords or show guns. He thought that was real fun.

One afternoon, Suresh’s father who had been working all day in garden, came indoors. He saw that Suresh was as usual sitting and watching the TV. Getting annoyed with his son’s lazy behaviour, he switched off the TV and asked Suresh to go outside. At that time Suresh had been watching a violent movie. Angry that his father had put off the TV, he picked up a sharp knife and ran out into the garden. Pretending to be the hero of the violent movie that he had just been watching, he lashed out with his knife, cutting all the flowers and plants in the garden. He even stabbed the trunks of the small plantain trees that his father had so lovingly planted. His poor parents helplessly watched the scene from the window. After some discussion, they came up with a plan to improve their son’s behaviour.

Suresh’s father went up to him and told him that as it was Saturday afternoon, he wanted to take him for a drive. He took him on a long drive to a beautiful wood that was full of trees and flowers. Butterflies and birds flew all over the place. Suresh loved the wood. He ran all around happily chasing the butterflies, sniffing at the flowers and hugging the tall trees. He was really enjoying the company of Mother Nature. After some time, his father told him that it was time for them to go back home. Suresh did not want to go but agreed reluctantly.

His father drove for some time and then stopped the car at a wide open spot that looked like a barren desert. Nothing grew there… only stumps of trees can be seen. Suresh was shocked to see such a barren land. The contrast between the two places was too much for him. “What happened to all the trees and flowers,” he asked his father in an anguished voice. His father gently put his arms around his shoulder and said, “My son, this land was once a lovely wood like the other one we have just visited. But over the years, greedy men cut down all the trees. As a result it is now a barren land.” On hearing this, the little boy began to think of his own garden back home. He thought how awful it would be if everything was cut down. He felt sorry for what he had done in his anger. When they returned home, the boy asked his father if he would allow him to help in the garden. He forgot all about the television. He had seen real beauty in the wood and now he wanted to be a part of it.

Suresh was a changed boy now. He started taking interest in his studies. He used all his spare time in his garden; planting, weeding and watering. He spent much less time in front of the television. And do you know what happened? He had a lot more fun.