Long ago, there lived a Giant in a big castle surrounded by a large garden. There were fruit trees and in the springtime, colorful flowers blossomed all around. In the autumn, the fruit trees bore juicy fruits. The birds would come and chirp happily. The garden was so beautiful that it was almost a slice of heaven on earth.
The children in the neighborhood would stop on the way back from school and play games in the garden. The Giant was not aware of this, as he had left his home for some years to visit his friend in another country. When he returned he screamed, 'What are you doing here"' The children scurried away. 'This is my garden and my own garden is my own garden,' he said.
So he built a high wall all around his garden to keep the children away and even put up a notice that warned trespassers of prosecution. Indeed he was a selfish Giant. The poor children were sad, as they had nowhere to play. After school they used to wonder around the high wall, wishing they were inside the lovely garden.
Later the spring came and flowers blossomed all around except in the Giant's garden where it was winter always. The birds did not want to sing there as there were no children and the trees didn't want to bear fruits, for the children were no longer there to eat them. At one time, a flower put its head out from the grass, but when it saw the notice board, it felt so sorry for the children that it slipped back into the soil again. The only ones at the garden were the snow and the frost who decided to live there since spring no longer came. Then the north wind came and whizzed all day long. Next came the hail, rattling noisily.
Now the Giant was curious as to why spring was late to come. 'I hope there will be a change in the weather,' he said. But spring never came, nor summer. Even autumn refused to show up.
'He is too selfish,' they said as the garden became occupied by winter, north wind, snow, frost and hail.
One morning, however, the Giant heard sweet sounds that he thought came from the King's musicians. It was actually a little bird singing outside his window. Suddenly the hail stopped dancing over his head and the north wind ceased roaring.
'I believe spring has come at last,' said the Giant as he jumped out of bed. As he looked out, he saw a beautiful sight. The children had crept into the garden through a hole in the wall and they were sitting on the branches of the trees. There was a child in every tree and the trees were so happy that they bore fruits and flowers blossomed again. The birds flew merrily over the garden. It was a breathtaking sight except in one lonely corner where winter still loomed.
There stood a lonely little boy. He was sobbing because he was so small that he could not reach the tree branch. The Giant felt sad and guilty.
'How selfish I have been!' he said in regret. 'I will put the boy on the top of the tree, and then I will knock down the wall, and my garden shall be the children's playground from now on.'
But when the Giant opened the door and walked into the garden, all the children became frightened and ran away. Winter came back again. The only one who didn't run away was the little boy, for he didn't see the Giant coming as he had tears in his eyes.
The Giant came next to him, carried him and put him up on the tree. At once the tree began to come alive and bore many fruits. Soon birds came and the little boy put his arms around the Giant's neck and kissed him. The Giant was pleasantly surprised. No one had kissed him before. Soon all the other children came and with them spring too came again.
The Giant then knocked down the wall and looked for the little boy but he was nowhere in sight. 'You must tell him to come here tomorrow,' said the Giant to the other children but no one knew who he was. They said they had never seen him before and this made the Giant sad.
Years passed by and the Giant grew weaker. He could not play any more, so he sat in a huge chair and watched the children play. He was contented and said, 'I have many beautiful flowers. But the children are the most beautiful flowers of all.'