The Orange Grove

Once upon a time, not very long ago in a land very close to yours, lived a farmer. This farmer grew oranges. Not just any oranges, the best, most tasty oranges ever. The farmer spent years and years developing just the right mixure of fertilizer, water and love to make these perfect oranges. Every year he sold his oranges to the wholesaler. The wholesaler paid the farmer very well for his oranges. With the money the farmer had built a nice house for his family and paid all his bills.

One day while walking his orange grove and admiring his oranges, the farmer came across a young boy eating one of his oranges. The farmer was very angry.

"Boy, why are you stealing my oranges?"

"I am sorry sir but I was hungry and your oranges looked so good." said the boy.

"That is no excuse boy. These oranges provide for my family. Every year I sell these oranges to the wholesaler and he gives me money. If you steal my oranges that is less money for my family. Why should I not have you arrested?"

The boy was frighten. He thought a moment and then came up with a wonderful idea.

"Sir, if you do not have me arrested, I promise to tell everyone, all my friends, that you have the best, most tasty oranges ever. You will be able to build your own stand and sell your oranges yourself. You will make lots of money for your family. More than if you sold your oranges to the wholesaler. The wholesaler does not appreciate how tasty your oranges are so they do not pay as much as my friends will."

The farmer thought this was a great idea. He always thought his oranges were worth more than what the wholesaler paid for them. The farmer wanted a fancy car and thought for sure he would be able to buy the fancy car with the money the boy's friends would pay him. Plus the farmer felt good for feeding the hungry boy. How could he deny the boy one orange when he had a grove full of oranges?

"This is a great idea, boy. I will not have you arrested. Run off and tell your friends about my tasty oranges."

The farmer built his own stand and got ready for all the boy's friends. But no one came.

Again the farmer was walking his orange grove when he came across the boy and some of his friends. The farmer was very angry.

"Boy, why are you and your friends stealing my oranges? You promised to tell all your friends about my oranges and that they would buy them from me but no one has come to buy my oranges."

"I'm sorry sir but we were hungry and I told them how good your oranges were and how nice a man you are. We promise to tell all of our friends. Soon they will come and make you very rich I promise. Do not have us arrested. We were hungry."

The farmer thought a moment and decided it was ok. It was just a few oranges and he had a grove full of oranges. He could not let the boy and his friends go hungry when he had so much. Plus they would tell their friends and soon he would be rich. But one thing bothered the farmer.

"Ok, boy, I will not have you arrested. But you can not take anymore oranges. No one will buy my oranges if they see you eating them for free."

The boy did not like that. He liked the farmers oranges. He thought the farmer could part with a few oranges since he and friends were going to make him lots of money. But the boy also understood the farmer's problem. The boy had an idea.

"Sir, I think you can part with a few oranges when you have a grove full of them. I understand that you cannot give away all your oranges and I would never ask you for that. But, we are hungry boys and we like your tasty oranges. I promise we will come only at night to take your oranges when no one can see and we promise when we are old enough to get jobs we will come and pay you for the oranges. We will only take the oranges we can eat and we will tell all our friends about your tasty oranges. You will be rich."

The farmer thought this was a very good idea so he told the boys ok and waited for their friends to come and buy his oranges. But no one came.

One day the farmer was walking in his orange grove and realized he had no more oranges, they were all gone. He ran to find the boy. He found the boy in another orange grove eating an orange.

"Boy, I need your help. I have no more oranges, they are all gone. No one came to buy my oranges and now I have no oranges to sell to the wholesaler. I will have no money to feed my family or pay my bills."

"Sir, do not lie to me just because I am a boy. I see you have a nice house with nice things. You have plenty of money. Your oranges will grow back and you can sell them next year and make lots of money."

"But what happened to your friends? I thought they would come and buy my oranges."

"Sir, my friends are not foolish. Why would they buy your oranges when they can come with me at night and get them for free? My friends are not rich like you, sir. They cannot afford to buy oranges all the time. My friends are hungry and like your tasty oranges. Soon my friends will be older and have lots of money then they will buy your oranges and you will be very rich and you will be thanking me."

The farmer thought this was a very bad idea. He needed money for his family and to pay his bills. He could not wait for the boy's friends to be older.

"I am sorry boy but I cannot allow you or your friends to take my oranges anymore. I need money for my family and to pay my bills."

"You are not being very gracious sir. It is my friends who will buy your oranges in the future. If you are greedy and do not give them your oranges today for free they will not buy them in the future. Instead they will buy the oranges of the farmer who does give them the oranges for free today."

"I am sorry boy but I cannot give anymore free oranges. I cannot wait for your friends to be older and have lots of money. I need money today."

"Obviously, sir, you are very greedy and do not appreciate all that my friends have done for you. If you do not give us free oranges we will burn down your orange grove and you will have no more oranges at all."

"I am sorry boy but I have to do what is right for my family. I am sorry that you feel that I am being greedy. I just want to provide for my family."

That night the boy and all his friends burned down the farmer's orange grove and the farmer had no more orange grove to grow his tastey oranges.

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