Page 75 - Moral Stories Vol 6

and the Peepal lurched3 to one side. The gusts4 of wind were so strong that even the house was shaking. The man inside was terrified5. “Good Lord, if that great tree falls on my house, there'll be nothing left of me or the house!”
And without even getting dressed he ran outside, crying, “Don't fall, and hold on, my good friend! You are still strong, you won't die yet! See, the
wind is already calming down, hold on!”
He ran right up to the tree and hugged it, throwing his arms around it as far as he could, as if he himself could hold it up against the storm... For an instant the trunk bent and swayed6 so violently that even the earth around its base shuddered7. Just at that moment the man woke up...
The very first thing he did was to run to the window. The Peepal was standing calmly in the morning sunshine as if nothing had happened. His heart was filled with relief. "May God be with you, good Peepal! Live well, for you are truly good!" From then on the man became the best friend of Peepal tree.
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