by Volecia Plafcan

Created on: February 27, 2009   Last Updated: April 07, 2009

Once upon a time on a green, well cared for lawn, there grew a weeping willow tree. It was rightfully named because it wept when it was happy and wept when it was sad. It was a lovely tree with some of it's arms hanging down to the ground. It was the only tree on the lawn that had leaves that went away in the fall and left the tree bare.

The tree stood right by a lovely lake and could watch the fishes swim around in the water. Some turtles, on sunny days, would climb up on a log to dry off and be warmed by the sun and on occasion, a snake or two would slither up in the water to smile at the tree.

The other trees, other than the cattails that grew by the lake, were all evergreens and their leaves and needles were always with them, even in winter, so they were never cold.

The weeping willow got very cold when fall came and shivered and wept for the leaves, that had fallen from it branches, to keep it's arms and trunk warm. The other trees felt sorry for it but, they could not cry because they had to uphold the other trees with their branches reaching to the sky.

A little girl named Sarah lived in the house by the lake. Often, she would visit the weeping willow and they would talk and cry.

"Don't cry, my tree," she would say to the willow as she patted it and wiped tears from her face. "You are going to be okay, this winter. I just know you are."

"I do not like to see you cry, so," the willow told Sarah. "Go and visit the other trees. They are cheerful and you are just a little girl who should be happy all the time," he tried to convince her. "God made me this way so I could cry for all the people in the world who are unhappy." A tear fell to the ground.

"I know," Sarah told him, "but, that is the reason I visit you." She tried to explain. "I thought someday I could make you happy and we could laugh together."

"I wish that could be true, too," the willow sighed. "Maybe, some day I will." A weak smile appeared on the willows' trunk.

"Now, that's more like it," Sarah smiled. "Let's play patty cake." So they played patty cake for a few minutes, then, it was time for her to go.

Sarah ran home.

"Mom!" She exclaimed as she ran into the kitchen where her mother was preparing supper.

"Well, my goodness!" Her mother smiled at Sarah. "What does my little girl want?"

"What can we do to make the weeping willow tree happy?" She asked.

"That is a hard question, honey," her mother answered, never expecting such a difficult one.

"Just let me think about it for a while and maybe something will

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