Once upon a time, in a small town, there lived a kind woman named Malleah. Her town was once lush with trees, their branches providing shade and a soft rustling sound in the breeze. But something had changed. The days were growing hotter, the rain less frequent, and the air no longer smelled as fresh.
One afternoon, Malleah went to the market to buy vegetables. The sun was blazing, and even the ground felt warm to the touch. As she walked through the market, she saw her neighbor, Mr. Salvo, sitting under a tiny tree, wiping sweat from his brow.
“Hello, Mr. Salvo,” Malleah said. “It’s incredibly hot today, isn’t it?”
“Yes, it’s almost unbearable,” replied Mr. Salvo. “I don’t remember it ever being this hot in spring.”
Malleah nodded, feeling the sweat trickle down her own forehead. “I think it’s because of global warming. People are not taking care of Mother Earth. We need to plant more trees to cool things down.”
Mr. Salvo agreed. “You’re right. People are cutting down too many trees, and the air is getting polluted. It’s not good for anyone.”
Malleah thought about this as she walked home. She passed by a playground where children used to play. But now, the swings were empty, and the slides were too hot to touch. It made her sad to see the town like this.
That evening, Malleah sat on her porch, watching the sunset. The sky was a deep orange, and the heat lingered long into the night. Malleah couldn’t sleep. She kept thinking about what she could do to make a difference. The next morning, she gathered some friends and neighbors to talk about her idea for planting more trees in their town.
“Thank you for coming,” she said to the small group. “If we plant more trees, we can help cool down our town and make the air cleaner. Let’s start a project to bring back the trees we’ve lost.”
Everyone agreed, and they got to work. They dug holes, planted saplings, and watered them. The work was tough, but everyone felt proud to be part of something that could make a real difference.
As the days passed, the town began to change. The trees grew tall and strong, their leaves providing much-needed shade. The children started playing in the park again, swinging on the swings and sliding down the slides without getting burned by the sun. Birds returned, and the air became fresh once more.
One evening, Malleah strolled through the town, watching families enjoy the cool breeze under the trees they had planted. She knew they were helping Mother Earth, one tree at a time. And she hoped that others would be inspired to do the same, so that every town could be a greener, cooler place to live.
