Phoebe and the Tree of Wishes
Once upon a time in a small village named Millville, there lived a young, kind-hearted girl named Phoebe. She was loved by all in the village for her generosity and compassion. Yet, she lived with a bitter reality that she was the only childless woman in the village. This did not lessen her love for children; instead, she loved all the village children as her own, treating them with candies and stories.
One day, a frail, old man arrived in Millville. He looked tired and worn-out with his clothes in tatters. People shied away from him, some even shooing him away. But, not Phoebe. She saw the old man in distress and opened her doors for him, offering food and warm clothes.
The old man turned out to be a wizard who was cursed to live in the human form until someone showed him kindness despite his miserable state. He was touched by Phoebe’s sincerity and decided to break her life-long despair. He gifted Phoebe a magical box with a warning not to open it until one year passed.
Phoebe, witnessing the sincerity in his eyes, accepted the box. As advised, she kept the box with utmost care and anticipation, patiently waiting for the day to open it. When the day arrived, she slowly opened the box only to find a small seed. She was disheartened but planted it in her backyard.
The following morning, to Phoebe’s surprise, the seed had grown into the most beautiful tree she had ever seen. Soon, children started flocking to the tree, allured by its charm. To everyone's astonishment, whenever a child expressed a wish under the tree, it would bear a fruit fulfilling that wish.
Word quickly spread and more children came, their hearts filled with dreams and anticipations. The tree became a beacon of happiness and hope for all the children and Phoebe was happier than ever. The village, once known for its mundane life came alive with laughing children that loved the wondrous tree and the kind lady who opened her heart to them.
However, the village elders grew envious of this tree's power, and coveted its magic. They schemed to take the tree and its magic for their greedy purposes. They spread rumours about how Phoebe had tricked a helpless wizard into giving her the magical tree and how it was dangerous for the children.
The villagers, in their ignorance and fear, decided to burn the tree down. Tears streamed down Phoebe’s eyes as she saw her tree getting destroyed. The tree sensing her sadness, shone bright one last time before turning into a tiny seed again; leaving the village awestruck. The villagers, realising their mistake, fell into crushing guilt.
Many years later, Millville was once again an ordinary village with children who had never seen the enchanted tree. However, the story of the tree remained, passed down from one generation to another. The elders remembered their guilt and reminded the children about love, kindness and the consequences of envy and greed.
Phoebe, now an old woman, still had the seed. She planted it in her backyard again with a heart full of hope and a village filled with repentance and wisdom. Life sprouted once more from the seed; the tree returned, much stronger and more beautiful than before. Phoebe smiled for she knew that this time, her beloved tree was in safe hands and henceforth, her village was a place of wisdom and kindness, a stark contrast to its past. The story of Phoebe's magical tree lived on for generations, a tale of kindness and second chances.