(children`s short story)

Once upon a time three kids, Andrew, Ann, and Arthur, came to their Grizzled Grand Dad with a long beard and husky hands for the whole summer. He lived in the forest edge in an old-time log house with a small field and a big garden in front of it.

Day in and day out children ran around the log house, took care of their nanny-goats, picked cherries and apples, and went to the forest to gather blackberries. Children had fun, fooled around, and felt happy.

But one day, while having dinner, capricious and snub-nosed Ann came out with, “Grandpa! We like your apricots, strawberry, and pears very much, but we want something special, something magically marvelous!”

Andrew flashed with his cheery eyes, “Yeah! Grumpa! Could you plant some tree with fairy tale fruits having a flavor of happiness?”

Arthur put a buzzing bug in his pocket and wiped his runny nose, “With the appetizing aroma and a punch of paradise!”

Wrinkled Grand Dad put his big plate with green soup aside and thought for a while, “You see kids, if you plant an apple seed, you grow an apple tree; if you pitch a pear seed, you get a pear tree. As to the seed for your tree, you will not find it in this forest, you will not dig it up in that field, you could spot it just only in your souls!”

“Souls!” screamed out the children. “How are these seeds called?”

“God`s seeds!” The rough-looking Grandfather sparkled with his smiling eyes. “All you need to do is to stop idling and quarreling, to throw all scrap from your souls away, and to love each other like true brothers and sisters!”

“Is it all?!” Ann, Andrew, and Arthur looked at each other with surprise.

“Yeap. In two weeks the summer holidays will be over. You have much time to find God`s seeds in your souls! So, the clock is ticking!”

For two weeks snotty Andrew, whimsical Ann and bully Arthur help their Grandpa with all his garden work and household chores. For two weeks they did not pinch and didn`t punch each other. For two weeks they behaved like breezy buddies and bosom brothers… And it happened!

On the last day of their holidays, spiky lightning struck the old tree not far from their lofty log house. After the thunderstorm spree and pitchfork shower, Grand Dad came cautiously to the aged tree and took something in his hands.

“Look, children! That is God`s seed! We will plant it together and next year you will get a holy tree!”

“With fairy tale fruits and a flavor of happiness?” children cuddled under the root looking hands of their Grandpa.

“Divine drupes with a pinch of paradise!” Grandfather took a big seed and brought it to the garden.

“Will they be healing?”

“Sure!”

“Will they be healthy?”

“Certainly!”

“Will they be divine?”

“Of course! So let`s plant it together!” The happy children dug up a hole in the middle of the garden, put the best fertilizers from a shed, watered God`s seed and hugged their cheery Grand Dad.

Next year they came one day earlier than usual.  Their Gruff Grandpa met them with open hands and led them to the amazing tree with wonderful fruits covering its comely crown.

“Is it our God`s tree?!” tickled pink Andrew, Ann, and Arthur jumped around their sweet-scented tree.

“God`s seeds from your souls could create miracles!” Grizzled Grand Dad smiled happily.