Grade 3

In the beginning, there was a little tree called Willow. He lived in a park near a little pond with other trees. One day, the trees started picking on him because he was different.

One of the trees said, “Why are you sad?”

Willow said, “Because you are teasing me.”

There was another tree named Pine. Pine looked like a Christmas tree. The other trees also teased Pine because he was the only pine tree.

The other trees said, “Hey Pine! Why do you look like a Christmas tree?”

Pine said, “That’s because I am a Christmas tree.”

The other trees said, “Of course you are! That’s why you are different, and we’re smarter than you.”

So when Pine grew up, he saw Willow getting bullied.

Then Pine said, “STOP!”

The other tree said, “What are you going to do?”

So Willow said, “You heard him, stop!”

And so Pine and Willow became friends, because Willow saved Pine from being teased and Pine saved Willow from being teased. The End.

Originally published in This Time They Hear You. Illustration by Leslie Osmont.