A little boy always thought of himself as the most unfortunate child in the world because polio (小儿麻痹症) made his leg lame and his teeth uneven. He seldom played with his classmates; when the teacher asked him to answer questions, he always lowered his head without a word.
One spring, the boy's father asked for some seeds from the neighbor. He wanted to plant them in front of the house. He told his children to plant a seed each. The father said to them, “Whose seed grows best, I will buy him or her a gift.” The boy also wanted to get his father's gift, but seeing his brothers and sisters watering the trees joyfully, anyhow, he hit upon an idea: he hoped the tree he planted would die soon. So watering it once or twice, he never attended to it.
A few days later, when the little boy went to see his tree again, he was surprised to find it not only didn't become weak, but also grew some fresh leaves, and compared with the trees of his brothers and sisters, his tree appeared greener and more vital. His father kept his promise, bought the little boy his favorite gift and said to him, “From the tree you planted, you would become an outstanding botanist (植物学家) when you grew up.”
Since then, the little boy gradually became optimistic. One day, the little boy lay on the bed but couldn't sleep. Looking at the bright moonlight outside the window, he suddenly recalled what the biology teacher once said, plants generally grow at night. Why not go to see the tree? When he came to the courtyard on tiptoe, he found his father was splashing something under his tree with a large spoon. All of a sudden, he understood: his father had been secretly fertilizing his small tree! He returned to his room, tears running down his face. Even if it is just a spoon of clear water, it can make the tree of life thrive.
