One grey blustery day, Dr.Sipi was sifting through his notes ready to teach his next lesson. The classroom was chilly today, and he’d had to switch on the lights due to the dull gloominess that lingered from outside. Looking out the window the tall trees appeared to be getting tangled in a great rage caused by the bellowing gales being blown by the wind.
Dr.Sipi turned to his class and could see that the children's moods were effected by the bad weather.
The twins Allie and Abner sat over their desks with their heads leaning tiredly on their outstretched arms.
Jack was occupying himself by swinging on the back leg of his chair.
“Jack stop swinging, if you fall you'll smack your head on that radiator behind you.” Dr.Sipi called out.
Jack grinned cheekily, he slowly swung his chair down and started ripping up paper from the corner of his workbook.
Suddenly there was a loud crackling noise that came from the rooms intercom.
“We have an important announcement, girls and boys recess will be cancelled today due to the bad weather. You are to stay inside your classrooms, thank you.” The droning voice called.
All the children moaned in disappointment, expect for one. Stephen who was sitting at his usual spot at the front of the class shot his hand up in excitement.
“Yes Stephen, what would you like to ask?” Dr.Sipi asked, knowing exactly what Stephen was going to say.
“ Sir, as we have no recess today, can we continue with our lesson in algebra again?” Stephen asked his green eyes blinking fast behind his glasses.
“Get lost Stephen! Like the rest of us want to spend our time doing algebra when we should be at recess. We're not all nerds like you!” Jack mocked.
Stephen blushed Crimson and looked down at his hands.
“ Yeah Stephen you don't have to be clever all the time. Take a break you nerd.” The twins chimed in.
With the pieces of ripped paper that Jack has sneakily been collecting, he quickly turned them into slimy spitballs and shot one at the back of Stephen neck.
“Ow!” Stephen cried, slapping his neck where he'd been shot.
“ Hey! Hey! That's not on Jack! Why did you do that for?” Dr. Sipi asked sternly placing his hands on his hips.
Jacked crossed his eyebrows.
“ He made me feel angry sir! All he ever does is be really clever, and now just because recess has been cancelled he wants us all to work instead of playing, it's not fair. Its made me feel real mad.” Jack replied crossly.
“We do not hit, or throw things at people when we are mad Jack. No matter how angry we are. Do you understand?” Said Dr.Sipi looking Jack right in the eyes.
Jack nodded his head sulkily, the twins Allie and Abner had their hands over their mouths trying not to giggle at Jack.
“ I think that you ALL owe Stephen an apology for being mean.” Dr.Sipi said raising his eyebrows to the children.
“ Sorry.” The children all said.
Stephen turned around.
“ That's ok.” He said, accepting their apology.
“ You see class, your actions were caused by the power of your minds. Jack, by you getting angry thoughts in your head, those thoughts then became your angry actions.” Dr.Sipi explained.
“ And you two Allie and Abner, by hearing Jack say something bad to Stephen, that implanted angry thoughts into your minds, making you have angry actions too.” Said Dr.Sipi.
“ Let me tell you a tale that my parents once told me about the power of positive thinking…”
“… Once upon a time a farmers wife decided she wanted some apple trees on the farm. One sunny day she planted two apple seeds with hope that they'd grow tall and strong, and that they'd supply her with lots of delicious apples.
After a few years both the seeds grew shoots, they grew trunks and roots deep underground. One of the trees was much bigger and taller than the other, but the little tree didn't seem to mind. The bigger tree however would gleefully boast all day about how well he was growing…”
“ Do you see how handsomely tall and strong I am, and how big my trunk is? It's nothing like yours has grown, little weed.”
“… The bigger tree would laugh. The little tree felt sad, but envisioned herself growing taller and stronger, with lots of juicy apples…”
“ I'll grow tall and strong, you'll see.”
…” The little tree replied.
Some while later, the taller tree began to grow branches and sprout many great green leaves. But the smaller tree’s branches remained bare…”
“Do you see my great green luscious leaves, little weed. I'll soon have plenty of apples.”
…” The larger tree said proudly…”
“ If you carry on growing bare at this rate, the farmers wife shall come and chop you for firewood.”
…” The larger tree laughed and laughed. The smaller tree felt awful and she began to cry. She closed her eyes and imagined herself being very tall and strong, having beautiful green leaves with plentiful ruby red apples on her branches.
From the outside the bigger tree looked blissful compared to the smaller tree. But little did they know that deep underground, the smaller tree’s roots were much bigger, thicker and stronger than those of the taller tree, who's roots where thin and short.
One night the wind howled and hailed, the trees branches thrashed from side to side….”
“ We shall surely be uprooted!”
…“ Wailed the smaller tree….”
“ Maybe for you little weed, but not for a big strong tree like myself.”
…“The larger tree replied.
Closing her eyes in fright the little tree kept on imagining herself being the most strongest, tallest, most beautiful tree that there ever was on the farm. All of a sudden there was a sickening crack and a loud cry. Opening her eyes the little tree couldn't believe her eyes. The larger tree had had his trunk snapped in half by the ferocious wind, and lay on his side weeping in disbelief. His thin weak roots had been easily uplifted by the strong winds that blew.
The next morning the farmers wife came to check on the trees that she'd planted. Her mouth fell open in surprise with the sight before her. What she thought was the larger stronger tree, lay on his side still weeping. The small tree on the other hand had flourished beautifully with bright green leaves and ruby red apples. The smaller tree smiled and smiled, all of her positive thinking had transformed her into the most beautiful tree on the farm. Whilst the other tree with his negative thoughts of her had turned himself into a pathetic weed.
The farmers wife dragged the dishevelled tree away and cut him up for her firewood….”
…“ So You see children, our minds are your garden. Your thoughts are your seeds, and with those seeds you can either grow flowers, or you can grow weeds.” Finished Dr.Sipi with his tale.
The children all looked up in wonder.
The loud noise of the end of day bell suddenly rang out, and the children started to collect their belongings. They thanked Dr.Sipi for his tale, and then rushed on home to tell their families about what they had learnt. And they were now more cautious with their thoughts, as they had learnt that their thoughts became their actions, and that there was a great power of positive thinking.
L.J.B
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