A long time ago, in the middle of a valley, there was a beautiful, thick forest called Sabza Zaar. All kinds of animals and birds lived there together with love and teamwork. Tall pine, silk‑cotton, peepal and mango trees grew in the forest, their dense branches shielding the strong sun and giving the birds perfect places to nest. In the heart of the forest a clear river flowed, and all the animals drank its cool water together.
In that forest lived a wise, old elephant whom everyone called Dāna Dādā with affection. Every decision in the forest was made with Dāna Dādā’s care and advice. There was also a clever but careless monkey named Nattu, a mischievous rabbit called Topi, a hard‑working squirrel named Chikki, and a noble lion named Sherkhan—each a well‑known character of the valley.
Everything was going wonderfully, but as time passed some of the younger animals forgot how important the trees and plants were. Nattu the monkey loved to leap from branch to branch, breaking leaves, snapping young shoots and tossing them aside, and eating only half of the fruit before discarding the rest. Whenever Chikki the squirrel tried to stop him, saying, “Nattu brother! Don’t hurt the trees; they give us shade and food,” Nattu would laugh and reply, “There are so many trees in the whole forest—what does it matter if I break a few shoots?”
Topi the rabbit would dig up the roots of plants, trampling the tender seedlings under his feet. Because of this careless behavior, the small plants along the riverbank began to dry up, and the river’s water started to shrink slowly.
One day, the scorching heat of the month of Jeth and the hot winds wrapped the whole area. The heat was so intense that rain had not been seen for a long time. Weeks passed and not a single drop fell from the sky. The river’s water began to dry, and the forest soil cracked as it became bone‑dry.
The trees that Nattu and the other animals had damaged had almost no leaves left, and a large part of the forest lost its shade. Now the animals faced the blazing sun and a severe shortage of drinking water.
One afternoon, exhausted by heat and thirst, all the animals gathered around Dāna Dādā. Nattu the monkey was weak from thirst and the heat; his strength was gone. He cried out, “Dāna Dādā! What is happening? Why has the river dried up and why can we not find any shade? We will die from the heat!”
Dāna Dādā took a deep breath and, with kindness, addressed all the animals, “My children, this is the result of our own mistakes. You did not value the trees and plants. You broke their shoots, crushed their seedlings, and hurt old trees instead of planting new ones. Do you know how essential trees and plants are for our lives?”
All the animals fell silent and listened to Dāna Dādā’s words.
"The trees give us more than fruit and shade. Their roots hold the soil together and soak up water when it rains, keeping the streams flowing. Trees clean the air and keep the world cool. Where there are many trees, clouds gather and rain falls. Without plants the land becomes barren and life itself is in danger."
Sherkhan nodded at Dāna Dādā’s words and added, “Yes! Even us hunters cannot live without those trees. If the trees disappear, the birds and beasts will have nowhere to live, and we will vanish too.”
Nattu the monkey and the rabbit felt the weight of their mistake. They bowed their heads in shame. Nattu said, “Dāna Dādā, please forgive us. We did not know these trees and plants are the secret of our breath and our water. What can we do to make our forest green again?”
Dāna Dādā smiled and replied, “There is still time. If we all work together and promise to protect the plants, nature will be kind to us again.”
The very next morning every animal in the forest began to work side by side. Nattu the monkey scattered seeds over the dry ground, Chikki the squirrel dug small holes with her tiny paws and planted the seedlings, and Dāna Dādā watered the new plants with the remaining water from the stream. The rabbit and the other animals built a fence around the young shoots so nothing could hurt them.
After only a few days of hard work and care, dark rain clouds gathered in the sky. The rain began to patter down! All the animals started dancing with joy. The dry stream filled again with clear water, and fresh green leaves sprouted on the once‑withered trees.
From that day on, the forest animals made a rule: no one will ever harm a tree or a plant, and every animal will plant at least one new tree each year.