The Mango Tree

A mango tree grew just next to the compound wall of the house of the Parthas. It was an old tree and grew in such a way that all its branches hung over the wall into the neighbour’s courtyard. The neighbours i.e. the Vermas and the Parthas were good friends. The Parthas would water the mango tree and also feed it with fertilizer. The Vermas would spray the branches with pesticide. They would share the fruit equally. This went on year after year.

Then, the Parthas had to move to another town, so they sold the house. The new owners were ill tempered. They quarrelled with the Vermas at every little pretext. That year the mango tree surely got its share of pesticide, but it got no manure or water. All the same, the small amount of rainwater that it did get was able to sustain it well enough. The tree did not bear fruit very heavily, but still there was a good amount of fruit.

When it was time for the harvest to be plucked, the new owners felt very sour; they thought, ‘the tree grows on our side, but all the fruit goes to their house, it’s not at all fair’. They engaged a woodcutter and asked him to chop off the tree right at the base of its trunk. Having issued these instructions, they drove off for the day to a nearby resort.

They returned late in the evening. At their doorstep, they found three cartons of mangoes, with a note attached. “We have always shared the harvest. This year our tree bore six cartons of mangoes. This is your share” signed ~ Vermas.

Stunned, the man ran to his backyard. The stump of the mango tree stared sadly at him. It was too late … haste had made waste.

Quote: Test all your actions, words, and thoughts on this touchstone. Will God approve this?