Story for kids about Pears |
Pear for Penny |
After her mum died, every day was the same for Penny. It was busy, busy, busy: her little brothers and sisters always seemed to be needing something or other. When her dad got sick, too, poor Penny felt like the last ray of sunlight had winked out. Shivering and scared, she made her way on a chilly April day to the place her mother was buried.
Tears came without asking. “Oh, mama, what can I do?” she sobbed.
Feeling a touch on her arm, Penny rubbed her eyes and looked up. On the spot of earth where her tears had fallen stood a young tree. It had round, leathery leaves and little white flowers, and the stubby branches reached out as if to comfort her.
Not sure if she was dreaming, Penny gently squeezed a twig. There was a sharp prick, and she pulled back her hand. Somewhere in her head a voice said softly, “Wait.”
Penny visited whenever she could. Before long the flowers were gone, and the tree was hung instead with tiny fruit that looked like little green bells. When June came the there were more white flowers, then more little bells. Penny waited, and watched. Day after day she would plunk herself wearily down on the soft ground and tell the tree about how dad had smiled his sad smile that morning, or how little Toby had cut his finger.
The tree never answered, but each time she came the fruit seemed just a bit bigger. On the very hottest day of the year the tree blossomed white for a third time. Soon the warm caress of the summer sun had turned the first batch of fruit a rich golden colour.
“Now.”
Penny blinked in surprise.
“Who said that?” she asked, but there was no answer.
Carefully she pulled one of the golden bells from its branch. Soft and juicy, it melted in her mouth. Penny ran to fetch a basket, filled it to the top and hurried back home. When a month later the second crop was ripe, the bells were smaller but sweeter, and their round cheeks blushed with just a hint of red. The fruit from the last crop was tiny, and hung in bunches like grapes.
Big as Penny's family was, there always seemed to be enough to go around. Sometimes she would stew the fruit, and she noticed that her dad seemed to cough less afterwards.
One day in late fall Penny decided to bring her family along to say thank you. As she knelt down beside the tree she heard the voice again, soft and tender:
“Thank-you for coming to see me. Soon I'll be asleep for the winter.”
“Oh, no, thank you!” Penny replied. “I don't know what we'd have done without you. Please tell us your name!”
“Call me Pear. A Pear for Penny. It was your mum, you know, who asked the wind to carry my seed from heaven. Don't worry, you won't be hungry any more. My fruit are sweeter than apples, and they're rich in nutrients to keep your veins and arteries strong. Use my seeds to plant more pear trees, and heal ...
Read the whole story about PEAR - purchase mini-book 'Apples and Pears' in PDF.
BONUS: writers' signature is available per request.
Read all stories about FRUITS
in the main book
'The World of Fruits"
TESTIMONIALS from parents & educators
Educational project 'KIND BOOK':
TESTIMONIALS >>
This was fragment from the story about BANANA from the book on Healthy Food for kids: 'The World of Fruits', part I >>
For the Book II 'The World of Vegetables' visit project Talking Veggies: Vegetables-for-kids.com
For anyone interested in their child's well-being, “The Storyteller's Guide to Health” series is sure to be of value. Following each selection of delightful stories, games and activities you'll also find recipes for the vitamin-conscious kitchen. The recipes are simple, allowing children to prepare dishes themselves with only minimal supervision, and are also designed to preserve the largest possible share of vitamins and other nutrients in the final serving. Read fragments from our bedtime stories about fruits and vegetables.
© Maria Skrebtsova,
© Alexandra Lopatina,
Illustration s by Svetlana Jijina.
|