OTTO AND THE ORANGES

Evening Star, Issue 22596, 13 March 1937, Page 8

OTTO AND THE ORANGES

Otto was a poor woodman’s son who loved oranges. But, alas! his parents were so poor they could not afford to buy any. For months Otto had passed regularly by_ a high wall which had guarded a big private house. Behind this wall lots of orange trees grew. He could just see the glistening, golden fruit by standing on tiptoe on the other side of the road. How he longed to gather some oranges from the well-laden branches. The temptation was too much for him, and one night be determined to climb over the big wooden doors at one ehd of the wall. Sitting astride the top of the doors, Otto could see the ungathered fruit weighing down the branches! He felt he must risk all to get that fruit! He jumped. The thud as he landed on the other side started a dog baa-king. Poor Otto! He turned to fly, but found a high wall between him and safety. Then a huge black dog came bounding towards him. Taken by surprise, Otto slipped and fell. The dog was upon him, growling, and Otto would have been badly mauled had not the owner run up. He was a brutal-looking man, and the boy trembled with fear. Otto, being a truthful boy, hung his curly head in shame when he spoke. “ Oh, sir, my father is a woodman and is too poor to buy oranges for me. For mouths I have watched your lovely golden fruit getting ripe, until at last I was tempted, and I felt 1 simply must have just one orange to satisfy my craving.” In spite of his brutal face the man looked kindly upon the lad. “ H’m. But you are stealing,” he said. Otto’s heart thumped. “If you promise novel to steal anything again I’ll lot yon free and give you soino oranges.”

Otto solemnly promised, and went home with his arms full of the precious fruit. He had never before tasted such wonderful'oranges—and he carefully planted the pips! These he watered night and morning in the hope that one day he would see little green shoots peeping from the ground. Poor Ottol How he 'longed for oranges. Then one sunny morning, as he went with his water can to tend his pips, he saw his work Ijad not been in vain. He could hardly believe his eyes. There were tiny green shoots shyly peeping from the soil. Otto dropped his water can and ran indoors to give his parents the glad news. They came bustling out to stare at their boy’s miracle. Otto was delighted. How be nursed those green shoots. Later orange groves grew, and Otto was able to wander among the trees laden with golden oranges, which were all his very own. And now many of the oranges we cat come from these self-same trees of Otto’s planting in sunny Spain.