A TENNESSEE TALE
BY LILY CORMIER

Somewhere deep in the woods and mountains of Tennessee lived a man and his wife who really and truly loved nature.

They hiked on the mountain trails and swam in the sparkling clear rivers and streams.
One day mister Jones (that was his name) said to his wife Mrs. Jones, " I am going to plant some fruit trees out in our back yard and I am also going to plant a vegetable garden  so we\'ll have healthy and tasty things to eat".  Mrs. Jones agreed that it was a wonderful idea since in just a few months they would have two more mouths to feed. Mrs. Jones would be bringing twins home at just about the time the vegetables would be ready to eat. Mr. Jones was so excited, and happily went to the shed to get his garden tools. He chose a sunny spot and started to dig for the vegetables his family would be eating in just a few months. Mr. Jones planted cabbage, lettuce, beets, potatoes and squash. It would be so much fun to watch the garden grow.

Then Mr. Jones started to dig the holes for the fruit trees and it wasn\'t very long before the trees were safely in the ground. There was a banana tree, a cherry tree and an apple tree. Of course it would take a few years before the trees gave fruit but Mr. and Mrs. Jones were very patient people.

At just about the time the vegetables were ready to eat Mrs. Jones brought the twins Mary and Martha home from the hospital. They were so soft and cuddly and HUNGRY so Mrs. Jones mashed and creamed the fresh potatoes and squash for the twins. It was so delicious they SMACKED their little lips! It made Mr. and Mrs. Jones smile to see how much they enjoyed the healthy vegetables.

One day as Mr. Jones went out to tend his garden he noticed that some of the lettuce and cabbages had big holes in them. He thought that was pretty strange so he and Mrs. Jones Mary and Martha hid behind the curtains early in the morning hoping to see who or what was eating the lettuce and cabbages. Sure enough, as they peeked through the windows, they noticed that right in the middle of the garden was a family of rabbits. Mr. Jones cried, what are we going to do?  Mary, Martha, and Mrs. Jones said the rabbits must be VERY hungry and we still have the potatoes, squash and beets! You are all so correct said Mr.Jones as he set the cabbage and lettuce leaves aside for the rabbits. He said to himself, I'm really happy that my family cares about the hungry rabbits.

Mr. Jones planted his garden year after year and the rabbits were allowed to take their meals along with the Jones\' because there was plenty for all of them.

Four years went quickly by. Mary and Martha were now old enough to help Mr. Jones with the garden and the fruit trees. The fruit trees were full of bananas, cherries and apples. Mrs. Jones made scrumptious apple pies and she made lots of banana pudding. Mary and Martha helped Mrs. Jones take the pits out of the cherries so she could make cherry cobblers. All of the goodies were so delicious that they all SMACKED their lips.

One Sunday morning after the Jones family came back from church Martha and Mary decided to stay outside to play. They noticed that there were bananas missing on the tree. They thought that was strange, so the next day, Mr. and Mrs. Jones, Mary and Martha hid behind the kitchen curtains and waited. Sure enough in no time at all as they peeked out the window they saw a monkey swinging from limb to limb in the tree helping himself to a banana. He had a sack with him and put a few bananas in that too. When he was full of bananas he jumped down from the tree and ran off into the woods while Mr. Jones wailed, what are we going to do?  Martha, Mary and Mrs. Jones said the monkey must be VERY hungry and we still have quite a few left! You are all so correct said Mr. Jones. He said to himself, I'm so glad that my family cares about the hungry monkey.

A few days later as the Jones family were having their healthy lunch which consisted of a little lettuce, cabbage, squash and beets, they heard something stomping around outside. They hid behind the kitchen curtains. Lo and behold there under the apple tree were three huge horses munching on the apples. They were eating so fast that many of the apples fell to the ground. OH! Mr. Jones exclaimed what are we going to do?  Mrs. Jones, Mary and Martha said, they must be VERY hungry and we still have some left to make pies. Mr. Jones had to agree with his family so he let the horses enjoy the apples that had fallen to the ground before he shooed them away. He said to himself I'm so happy that my family cares about the hungry horses.

Mr. Jones thought that must be the end of the animals eating the fruit from his fruit trees but that was not yet to be. The very next day Mr. Jones and his family heard grunting and scratching under the cherry tree. They peeked out the window and there standing big and tall was a brown bear guzzling down those cherries and it didn't even take time to spit out the pits. Oh my Oh my, moaned Mr. Jones, what are we going to do? With a twinkle in their eyes, Mrs. Jones, Mary and Martha said, that bear must be VERY hungry. Mr. Jones said, I do have to agree with you and he said to himself I'm so happy that my family cares about the hungry bear.

Suddenly Mr. Jones clasped his hands together and said to Mrs. Jones, Mary and Martha, we are all so fortunate to have these healthy fruits and vegetables it would be a shame not to share them with the hungry animals. Mrs. Jones, Mary and Martha had to agree with Mr. Jones and   they said to themselves we are so glad that Mr. Jones cares about all the hungry animals. Year after year Mr. Jones did care enough to share the family's healthy garden with the rabbits and the family fruit trees with the monkey, the horses and the bear deep in the woods and mountains of Tennessee.