There was once a grumpy tree. It was the biggest tree in the forest, and it didn't need its shadow for anything. However, the tree would never share its shadow with any of the animals, and wouldn't let them come anywhere near.

One year, the autumn and winter were terrible, and the tree, without its leaves, was going to die of cold. A little girl, who went to live with her grandma that winter, found the tree shivering, so she went to get a great big scarf to warm the tree up. The Spirit of the Forest appeared and told the little girl why that tree was so solitary, and why no one would help him. Even so, the girl decided to put the scarf on the tree.

The next springtime, the tree had learned from the girl's generosity, and when she sat next to the trunk the tree bent down to shade her from the sun. The Spirit of the Forest saw this and went to tell all the animals. He told them that from then on they would be able to shade themselves well, because the tree had learned that having kind and generous beings around makes the world a much better place to live in.