In a bustling part of the town stood a large area known as Forest Park. It was filled with chirping birds, playful squirrels, and right in the middle of it all was a little tree called Tommy. Tommy was not just any ordinary tree; he had a special green triangle-shaped head. Each morning, Tommy would sway his branches in joy as he soaked up the sunshine that peeked through the clouds and listened to the birds sing.
However, Tommy had a secret worry. He often looked around at his tall neighbors and thought, “Why can’t I grow as tall as them?” To cheer him up, Happy the Bird would flutter down and say, “Oh Tommy, see how far your branches reach! You can touch the blue sky, can’t you?” This would make Tommy smile for a while, but deep down, he still felt small.
Tommy’s spirits brightened every spring when new trees would arrive. Oh, how he admired them! Little Rosie, with her rosy blossoms, would dance lightly in the spring breeze, while Julia the Jack Pine proudly stretched her beautiful branches in all directions. But soon a shadow would fall on Tommy’s heart, as all the little newcomers grew taller, leaving Tommy still gazing up at his friends with longing.
In summer, the park buzzed with life. The trees played games, shared stories, and enjoyed the gentle rain showers together. Yet, when Tommy looked at his long-time friends, he would sigh, thinking, “If only I could grow a bit taller.” Then came fall, when the trees donned their colorful attire, and Tommy’s branches shimmered in colors that brightened the whole park. But, as it got colder, Tommy’s heart felt heavy with the weight of winter as he watched the larger trees scatter their snow caps, still growing higher towards the sky. Tommy sighed, uttering “I wish I could grow just a little taller.”
One morning, as snow blanketed the ground, a friendly squirrel that made a home in Tommy’s branches looked up and said, “Cheer up, and don’t be so blue! Look at those little red berries, how bright they grow! Grow as you grow, your head will one day show!” And when the spring flowers began to bloom again, Happy the Bird tantalizingly said, “The one who shouldn’t grow tall this time is you!” which made Tommy chuckle.
Time flew by, and one glorious morning, Tommy woke up to find his long wish had finally come true. With delight, he exclaimed, “Oh, what fun it is to be just tall enough to touch the clouds, to be as high as I can see about and hear the whole forest shout!” And from that happy day on, Tommy the Tree stopped sighing as he gazed at his tall neighbors. He understood now that every little tree grows higher each year, and as long as he was happy with the sunshine, he was sure of being told: “Tommy is a very fine tree. He has grown a little older, but he has not grown a bit too tall!”