In a village on the island of Crete, there stood an olive grove older than memory. Its trees grew twisted but strong, their roots gripping the stones like ancient hands.
Among them was one great tree—taller than all others, with leaves silver as moonlight. The villagers called it Elia the Wise, for it never failed to bear fruit, even in drought.
A young farmer named Nikos, inheriting the grove from his father, grew proud. “The trees need no blessing,” he said. “It’s my care that keeps them green.”
His grandmother warned him, “An olive lives longer than kings. Treat it with reverence, for it remembers all who touch it.”
Nikos laughed. “A tree that remembers? Let it remember how well I prune it!”
That summer, the rains stopped. The soil cracked, and the olives shriveled. Nikos, desperate, worked day and night. Still, the grove withered—except for the great silver tree, which remained green and heavy with fruit.
Furious, Nikos shouted, “If you are truly wise, tell me your secret!”
The wind stirred, and from the branches came a voice like rustling leaves.
“Patience is my secret, and gratitude my gift. You ask the earth to serve you, but I serve the earth.”
Nikos fell to his knees. “Forgive me! Teach me how to make the grove live again.”
The tree whispered, “Plant with humility, water with faith, and share the harvest freely. Then life will return.”
He obeyed. He gave olives to the poor, replanted saplings, and offered prayers to the soil before every sunrise.
The next spring, the grove bloomed brighter than ever. Nikos never again claimed the trees as his own. Instead, he built a shrine beneath Elia’s branches where travelers could rest and eat.
When Nikos died, the villagers said the tree wept golden oil for three days, and new shoots grew around its roots.
To this day, they say if you touch that tree with a thankful heart, you will never hunger again.
Moral of the Story
Gratitude is the root of all abundance. Pride starves, but patience feeds generations.
Knowledge Check
- Where does this story take place?
On the island of Crete, Greece. - Who was Nikos?
A proud young farmer who inherited an olive grove. - What was special about the tree Elia?
It spoke wisdom and never failed to bear fruit. - What caused the grove to wither?
Nikos’s pride and ingratitude toward nature. - How did he restore it?
By practicing humility, sharing, and prayer. - What does the olive tree symbolize?
Patience, gratitude, and the eternal gift of renewal.
Origin: Greek folktale (Crete island oral tradition)
