The Apple and the Worm

An apple tree grew in an orchard. The apples on the tree were still small, but they dreamed of the day that they would grow to maturity and become tasty. Then they would be pleasing to children help them to grow healthy and strong.

One day a small worm appeared on the tree and began to speak to the apples about how boring it was to hang on a tree all day with nothing to do.

"Look at the birds," said the worm. "They can fly everywhere. There is so much to see and experience. "

One of the apples became interested in what the worm had to say. "I wish I could learn to fly!" the apple said. "What is necessary for me to learn to fly?"

"It is very simple!" said the worm. "I will teach you, but I am afraid that the birds will eat me. Let us be friends and let me live inside of you and then I will teach you to fly!"

The apple agreed and the worm began to live inside of him. Every day they talked about learning to fly. The worm asked the apple, "Who had told you that you could not fly? And who told you that you should give the vitamins that you have worked so hard to produce to help others?"

"God told me that was why he created me," answered the apple.

"That is very unfair," replied the worm.

"Well then, when will I fly?" asked an apple.

"Wait, it's not time yet," answered the worm while continuing to eat away at the inside of the apple.

Finally, one day the worm said, "It's time now! You are fully grown and there is no reason why you should not fly. The only thing that prevents you from flying is this apple tree! The apple tree is jealous because its roots grow so deeply in the ground that it cannot fly, so it does not want you to fly either. You must break loose from the apple tree and then you will be able to fly!"

The other apples heard what the worm said and began to try to pursuade the apple to stay on the tree. "We were created for others and we must help them by giving them vitamins to help them become strong and healthy! Stay here with us, do not trust the worm!" But the apple would not listen! A gust of wind came and the tree was shaken. The apple turned loose from the tree.

"I'm flying, I'm flying," the apple happily cried. But the flight soon ended as the apple crashed to the ground. After a short time, the apple began to spoil.

The next day some children came to the garden and began to collect apples, but the apple that wanted to fly was thrown into the trash. "Who would want a worm-eaten, spoiled apple?" the children asked.

All the other apples were collected into baskets and went on provide vitamins to help others to grow -- just as God had intended them to do.