A man was walking through the woods with his axe (斧头) when a small tree called to him. It is said, "Hello, my friend. Can you1 those bigger trees？They stop me from getting the sun. It is so2 here that I have no room to grow my roots. I can't feel the wind. "
The little tree held out its small3. It looked so sad. Then it4, "If those trees were gone, I'd be able to grow. A year from now, I'd be the biggest tree here. 5 for now, I'm just a small tree. "
The man thought for some time and6. He walked over to the bigger trees and started cutting them down. He cleared lots of space7 the small tree. Now it could be able to8 the sun and wind. It would grow bigger and become the biggest tree in that area.
But something else happened. The9 came first, burning the small tree, which wasn't used to so much sunlight. Then heavy wind and rain came—without the bigger trees10 it, the small tree was hit by the11. Soon, the tree was nearly dead.
"You've been quite12," said a snake that saw what had happened, looking at the poor tree and its small leaves. "In fact, you brought this on13. If you stay with the bigger trees, the sun and rainstorm won't hurt you14. They will protect you instead. If you just wait longer, you will grow to be just as big as them and you will be15. But now, you are nearly gone. "
