American Folktale

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Retold by The Legendary Connection

TLC#00184

There was once a kind man named Johnathan Chapman. Everyone knew him better as Johnny Appleseed, because he would walk from town to town, carrying a big bag of apple seeds. Johnny had a warm smile and wore whatever clothes people would give him. Some even say he wore a big pot on his head for a hat. Johnny loved all people and saw them all as children of the Father in Heaven. He also loved nature and cared deeply for all kinds of animals. He was even concerned about the little tiny insects.

Johnny didn't just keep the seeds for himself, to plant in his own fields. He wanted to share apples with everyone. Everywhere he went, Johnny planted apple seeds in the ground. He didn’t ask for anything in return; he just wanted people to have apple trees that would grow and give them plenty of apples to eat and to make into apple cider.

Johnny was always happy to help others. He would give seeds to anyone who needed them and teach people how to plant apple trees. He knew that someday, the trees would grow big and strong and be a source of apples to people and animals for years to come. He knew that the apples would keep growing and that even people Johnny would never meet might also get to eat the apples from the seeds he planted. Because of Johnny's generosity, many people and animals were able to enjoy delicious apples for years and years. He made the world a sweeter place just by being kind and sharing what he had. Even though Johnny didn’t keep the apples for himself, his heart was full of happiness knowing that so many people could enjoy the fruits of his kindness.

So, just like Johnny Appleseed, when we share what we have and help others, we make the world a better place! Generosity is like planting seeds of kindness that can grow and spread to everyone around us.

Original Sources: https://gutenberg.org/cache/epub/6302/pg6302-images.html     

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Johnny_Appleseed