The Ticklish Tree

There was a big old oak tree in Sunny Park. Birds nested in its branches. Kids played in its shade. But one morning, something very strange happened. A squirrel scampered up the trunk. His tiny claws tickled the tree's bark. "Hee hee hee!" giggled the tree. WAIT. Did that tree just... GIGGLE? The tree shook and wiggled! PLOP! PLOP! PLOP! Acorns rained down everywhere! "Whoa!" squeaked the squirrel, hanging on tight. "What's happening?" "That TICKLES!" laughed the tree. The little squirrel had never heard a tree talk before! Or giggle! He ran down to collect all the acorns! Later that day, two kids named Sam and Mia were playing frisbee. WHOOSH! The frisbee flew up, up, up and got stuck in the tree's branches. "Oh no!" said Sam. "I'll climb up and get it." Sam grabbed the trunk and started climbing. "Hee hee! That tickles!" giggled the tree. It started shaking and wiggling! WHOOSH! Down came the frisbee! BOING! Down came a soccer ball - right onto Sam's head! BONK! BOUNCE! BOUNCE! BOUNCE! Down came three tennis balls! THUMP! Down came a baseball! PLOP! A jump rope landed on Mia! WHOMP! Someone's old sneaker fell out! "Wow!" laughed Mia, untangling herself from the jump rope. "The tree has been collecting stuff for YEARS!" Next, a big fluffy dog named Bruno trotted over. His back was itchy. Very itchy! Bruno backed up against the tree trunk and started scratching. Scratch, scratch, scratch! "HEE HEE HEE! STOP! THAT REALLY TICKLES!" the tree laughed louder than ever! The tree shook like crazy! WHOOSH! WHOOSH! WHOOSH! Hundreds of colorful leaves fell down - red, orange, yellow, and brown! They covered Bruno from nose to tail! He shook himself and leaves flew everywhere! They landed on kids' heads! On the benches! In the fountain! Everyone was giggling and throwing leaves in the air! Then, a whole flock of birds flew down. Twenty birds! All at once! They landed on different branches - some on the left, some on the right, some right on top! Their little feet pitter-pattered all over! "OH NO! HEE HEE HEE! NOT ALL AT ONCE! HEE HEE HEE!" The tree wiggled left! It wiggled right! It shook up and down! The birds bobbed like they were on a roller coaster! "WHOOOOAAA!" chirped the birds, flapping their wings to stay balanced! The tree giggled even harder! "TOO TICKLISH! HEE HEE HEE!" WHOOSH! All the birds fluttered away in a colorful cloud! "Sorry!" giggled the tree, still shaking a little. "I can't help it! I'm just so TICKLISH!" The tree took a deep breath and looked around the park. Kids were throwing leaves and laughing. Sam was playing catch with all the returned balls. Bruno was chasing leaves in circles. Everyone was smiling and giggling! Wait a minute... Everyone was HAPPY! The tree hadn't caused problems at all - it had created the best day ever! A little girl ran up and gently hugged the trunk. "You're the best tree in the whole world!" she said. "Hee hee! Thanks! That tickles a little!" the tree giggled softly. The whole park filled with laughter. And the tree knew - being different was exactly what made it wonderful! The End

About The Ticklish Tree

The Ticklish Tree Meaning & Lessons

What Makes You Different Makes You Special: The ticklish tree thought being different might be a problem - no other trees giggled when touched! But being ticklish is what made this tree so wonderful and loved. The things that make YOU different - whether it's how you laugh, what you're good at, or what you enjoy - are what make you special and amazing!

You Can Bring Joy in Unexpected Ways: The tree didn't plan to make everyone happy - it just couldn't help giggling! But its ticklishness created the best day ever at the park. Sometimes you can make people smile and laugh just by being yourself. You don't have to try to be perfect to bring happiness to others!

What Seems Like a Problem Can Be a Gift: At first, the tree worried that being so ticklish was causing trouble - birds flying away, things falling down everywhere! But actually, it was helping people find lost toys and making everyone laugh together. Sometimes things that seem difficult or different turn out to be wonderful gifts that help others!

󠁧󠁢Did You Know?: Did you know that real trees can actually "feel" when something touches them? Trees don't giggle like in our story, but they ARE aware of their surroundings! When a bug starts eating a tree's leaves, the tree can sense it and will make its leaves taste bad to protect itself. Trees can also "talk" to each other through their roots underground, warning nearby trees about danger. And here's something cool - when you hug a tree, scientists have found that the tree's "heartbeat" (the way water moves through it) can sometimes match YOUR heartbeat! So maybe trees do feel our touch after all, just in their own special tree way!"