Apple Tree – C. Schmid

Apple TreeOld Rupert was sitting in the shade of a big apple tree in front of his house. His grandchildren were busy eating the beautiful apples and they were never tried of praising the delicious fruit.

Their grandfather said to them: “Now I’ll tell you how this tree came here. More than 50 years ago I was standing lazily in an uncultivated field, just about where you now see that apple tree, and I was complaining of my poverty to my rich neighbour,”

“Oh,” I said, “how happy I would be if I could receive a hundred rupees from my poor possessions.”

The neighbour, who was a very wise man, said to me: “It is so simple. All you need do is begin well. Right where you are standing there are hidden in the ground more than one hundred rupees. It’s up to you to dig them out.”

“I was then a young fellow without much understanding and the following night I dug up the ground and made a big hole but I found nothing.”

The following morning when my neighbour saw the hole he laughed so much that he could not contain himself: “Idiot, I didn’t mean that you had to dig a hole. However, I will reward you with this young apple plant. Place it in the hole and in a few years you will see your rupees come into being.”

“I planted the tree. It grew strong and with the years it became the great tree that see in front of you. The value of such delicious fruit over the years has rendered me certainly more than hundred rupees and even today this tree is a capital which gives me great returns. I have never forgotten the lesson which my neighbour taught me.”

And little plants will grow to bear

Abundant fruit some day;

If only I can take care of

The day that is Today!

∼ C. Schmid

About C. Schmid

Christoph von Schmid (15 August 1768 Dinkelsbühl, Bavaria – 3 September 1854 Augsburg) was a writer of children’s stories and an educator. His stories were very popular and translated into many languages. His best known work in the English-speaking world is The Basket of Flowers (Das Blumenkörbchen). Christoph von Schmid studied theology and was ordained priest in 1791. He then served as assistant in several parishes until 1796, when he was placed at the head of a large school in Thannhausen, where he taught for many years. From 1816 to 1826, he was parish priest at Oberstadion in Württemberg. In 1826, Christoph von Schmid was appointed canon of the Augsburg Cathedral, where he died of cholera at the age of eighty-seven. Schmid began writing books for children, teaching Christian values, shortly after being placed at the school in Thannhausen. His first work was a Bible history for children (1801). Schmid’s original purpose for writing was to reward his students after school by reading his books to them. Schmid continued with his calling as a writer of children’s books throughout his long life. Schmid’s writings have been translated into 24 languages. His principal juvenile works are Biblische Geschichte für Kinder, Der Weihnachtsabend, Genovefa, Die Ostereier, Das Blumenkörbchen, and Erzählungen für Kinder und Kinderfreunde (1823–1829). Die Ostereier (Easter Eggs, 1816) became so popular that he started signing himself as “author of Easter Eggs.” Many say that he was the pioneer of books for youths.

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