The Selfish Giant

 A giant lived in a beautiful garden. It was a large, lovely garden with soft green grass. Here and there over the grass stood beautiful flowers like stars and there were peach-trees that in spring time broke out into delicious blossoms of pink and pearl and in Autumn bore rich fruits. Every afternoon, the children of the locality coming from school used to go and play in the Giant's garden. One day the giant came back. He had been to visit his friend and had stayed with him for seven years. When he arrived he saw the children playing in the garden. "What are you doing here", he cried in a very gruff voice and the children run away. "My own garden is my own garden", said the Giant,"any one can understand that, and I will not allow nobody to play in it but myself". So he build up a wall all around it and put a notice board.

"Trespassers will be prosecuted"

He was a very selfish Giant. The poor children had now nowhere to play. They tried to play on the road but they did not like it.

Then spring came and all over the country there were little blossoms and little birds. Only in the garden of the Giant it was still winter. The birds did not care to sing in it as there was no children. Once a beautiful flower put his head out from the ground but when it saw then notice-board that it slipped back into the ground again and went off to sleep.

"I cannot understand why Spring is so late in coming ", said the selfish Giant, as he sat at the window and looked out at his own cold white garden, "I hope there will be a change in the weather".

But the Spring never come, nor the Summer. The Autumn gave golden fruit to every year garden but to the Giant's garden she gave none. "He is too selfish", she said.

One morning the Giant was laying awake in bed when he heard some lovely music. It sounded so sweet to his ears that he thought it must be the kings musicians passing by. It was a little linnet singing outside his window. A delicious perfume came to him through the open casement. "I believe the Spring has come at last", said the Giant. He jumped out of the bed and looked out. He saw the most wonderful sight. Through a little hole in the wall the children had crept in and they were sitting in the branches of the trees. The trees were glad to have the children back. Trees covered themselves with blossoms, birds were flying, the flowers were looking up. It was a lovely scene. It was farthest corner of the garden it was still winter. A little boy could not reach up the branches of the tree. The giants heart melted as he looked out. "How selfish I have been!", he said," I will put that poor little boy on the top of the tree.

So he open the front door softly and went into the garden. But when the children saw him they all ran away. But the little boy didn't notice that because his eyes were full of tears. The Giant stole up behind him and put him on the top of the tree. The tree broke into blossoms. The children came back. "It is your garden now, little children", said the Giant. He took an axe and knock down the wall. In the evening they came to the giant to bid him good-bye.

The Giant asked, "Where is your little companion?" 

"We don't know", answered the children.

"You must tell him to be sure and come here tomorrow", Giant said.

Every afternoon children came and play with the giant. But the little boy whom the Giant loved was never seen. Years went over and the giant grew very old and feeble.He could not play about any more, so he sat on a chair and watched the children.

One winter morning he looked out of his windows as he was dressing. Suddenly he rubbed his eyes in wonder and looked and looked. He saw the little boy he had loved. The Giant ran in great joy and out into the garden. When he came quite close his face grew red with anger and he replied. "Who hath dared to wound thee?" "tell me , that I may take my big sword and slay him".

The child smiled on the Giant and said him, "You let me play once in your garden, today you shall come with me to my garden , which is Paradise."

When the children ran that afternoon, they found the Giant lying dead under the tree, all covered with white blossoms.

Moral:~ Happiness through true love and selflessness