THE TWO APPLE TREES

New Zealand Tablet, 22 July 1909, Page 1157

THE TWO APPLE TREES

'I have been 'looking at these two trees, boys,' said Mr. Moore one bright Saturday morning, ' and as ther<*. seems to be about the same amount of apples on each one. I have decided that if you want to gather and market them for yourselves yon may do so.' ' And have the money for ourselves?' they. asked' eagerly and in unison. ' Yes, and you may also take old Billy and the light waggon to draw them to town this afternoon.' Before he had ceased speaking, John, the elder boy, had begun to climb one of the trees, and Mr. Moore, without further comment, walked away. The other boy also walked away, but in a different; direction. John meanwhile having secured a good foothold in the centre of the tree, was giving it a vigorous shaking, whic'i sent the apples to the ground in showers. Presently the brother returned carrying a ladder and a basket. ' Oh, ho !' cried John, ' you don't mean to say that you intend to pick those apples off the tree? This is the way to do it,' and he gave his tree another energetic shaking. 'Why, don't you know?' he went on, 'if you stop to pick those apples off it will take you all day long.' 'Can't help it,' was the answer; 'that is the way they are coming off, and the only way.' ' But, you'll not be ready to go with them to town this afternoon.' ' But you can't stay out of school.' ' I can be examined Monday at noon. Don't worry, I'll find some way to get my apples to market, and they'll bring me a good price when they do get there.' John continued his protestations, but his brother pc *- sisted in doing his work in his own way. Therefore, it was nearly sundown and John had been gone several hours when the brother took the last apple from the tree. When John returned from town soon after he jingled his coins in his h&nds merrily, and asked with a laugh : ' Don't you wish you had some ?' ' How much did you get a bushel?' asked his brother. "' Thirty-five cents,' said John. A few moments later when they entered the barn together, where the brother's apples were carefully bestowed ir. baskets, John exclaimed : ' What in the world did you do to those apples ? They look as if they had been polished.' ' Oh, just a cloth and a little rubbing did the job,' was the answer. ' Who would believe that the trees which bore those < apples and John's were exactly'alike ?' asked Mr. Mooro, coming into the barn at this moment. John looked grave. ' But, what's the use of all that trouble ? They'll not bring you any more,' he said scornfully. - Wait and see,' said the brother. On Monday evening, when the younger brother returned from the village, he counted out his money, and he had received just double the amount that John had been paid for his apples. ' I didn't know,' said John, ' that taking a little trouble would make so great a difference about the very * same thing.' •