2. “LUCIAN GRIGORESCU” SCHOOL MEDGIDIA – CONSTAN Ţ A ROMANIA THE STORY OF A TREE

3. Once upon a time there was a sad, crowded town, with sky-high buildings and many cars, where no trees or grass ever grew, except a tree.

4. The tree was not tall and, no matter how hard he tried, he couldn’t but sometimes reach to the warm sunshine.

5. The only people ever knowing about his presence, were the children from a nearby school, whom he met daily and heard talking. The tree was their little secret.

6. With every gust of wind or rustling of leaves, children were getting more and more inspired in making up the most beautiful stories. And so they wrote about five books in the first two years.

7. When it was too hot and children sprinkled themselves with water, they also looked after the tree. When it snowed, they would make snowmen to keep him company, with scarf and gloves around the trees to keep him warm. In the fall, the children would talk about his beautiful leaves to grow back in the spring. Then they gathered the fallen leaves, pressed them and carefully looked after them.

8. One hot summer day, three men stopped next to him. There was no wind, yet the tree started trembling. The children ran into hiding, forgetting to take their story books.

9. The men had an argument, but the tree was listening to them. They were measuring the place and discussing about two parking places.

10. One of the men noticed the books around, sat under the shade and started reading aloud.

11. Fascinated by the reading, the other two men sat near him. Full of hope, the little tree started gently touching them with his little shiny leaves. The children went out of hiding…

12. As the three men worked for the local publishing house, the children’s stories soon became well-known.

13. The front page of the book, now printed, had this message:

14. Agliţoiu Marius 6 th grade Dima Costin 8 th grade