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The Two Mango Trees

Story

Raju and Babu were twins, but the two mango trees in their orchard were nothing alike.

Raju's tree stood tall by the well, heavy with fruit every season. Babu's tree grew near the fence, smaller, with only a handful of mangoes each year.

"Look how many I have!" Raju said one evening, stacking ripe mangoes into a basket.

Babu counted his own — just six. He looked away, quiet.

Their father saw his face and sat beside him under the small tree.

"Do you remember planting this one?" he asked.

Babu nodded. "It was the smallest sapling in the nursery. Everyone said it wouldn't survive."

"And yet, here it stands," his father said. "You watered it through two dry summers. You cleared the weeds around it every morning before school."

"But Raju's tree gives so much more."

His father picked one of Babu's mangoes and cut it open. The fruit was small, but sweet all the way through.

"Some trees give more," he said. "Some give less. But the care you gave this tree was no smaller than his. That part was always equal."

Babu looked at the basket of six mangoes. They suddenly felt like enough.

That night, both brothers ate mango slices on the same plate — Raju's and Babu's mixed together, impossible to tell apart.

Worksheet

A. Multiple Choice Questions (4 options each)

  1. What did Raju and Babu have in their orchard? a) Two wells b) Two mango trees c) Two dogs d) Two houses
  2. Where did Babu's mango tree grow? a) By the well b) Near the fence c) On the roof d) In the kitchen
  3. How many mangoes did Babu count from his tree? a) Sixteen b) Six c) Sixty d) Two
  4. What did their father do with one of Babu's mangoes? a) Threw it away b) Cut it open and showed it was sweet c) Gave it to Raju d) Planted it again
  5. How did the brothers end the day? a) Arguing about the harvest b) Sharing mango slices from one plate c) Selling the mangoes d) Crying

B. True or False

  1. Raju's tree gave fewer mangoes than Babu's tree. ____
  2. Babu watered his tree through two dry summers. ____
  3. Their father said the harvest size showed who cared more. ____
  4. Babu's mango tasted sweet all the way through. ____
  5. The brothers shared their harvests together at the end. ____

C. Short Answer Questions

  1. Why did Babu look away quietly when he counted his mangoes?
  2. What had Babu done for his tree during the dry summers?
  3. What did the father cut open to make his point?
  4. According to the father, what part was "always equal" between the two brothers?
  5. How did the story end for the two harvests?

D. Long Answer Questions

  1. Explain in your own words what the father meant when he said, "That part was always equal."
  2. Describe a time when you tried hard at something but the result wasn't as big as someone else's. How did you feel, and what helped you feel better?
  3. Why do you think the story compares the brothers to trees instead of, say, two students or two players?

E. Vocabulary Activity — Match the word to its meaning

Word Meaning
1. Orchard a) Young, newly planted tree
2. Sapling b) The same in size or value
3. Equal c) A place where many fruit trees grow

F. Reflection Corner

  1. Have you ever compared yourself to a sibling or friend the way Babu did?
  2. What is something you do every day with care, even if no one notices it?
  3. How do you think Raju felt when he saw his brother looking sad?

G. Discussion Corner

  1. Talk with a parent or grandparent about a time they worked hard at something without a big result. What did they learn from it?
  2. Why might it be unfair to judge how much someone cares just by looking at the result?
  3. As a family, name one "small tree" effort each person is proud of this week — something that didn't need to be the biggest to matter.

H. Creative Activity

Draw your own "effort tree." On the roots, write three things you do with care (like Babu watering his tree). On the fruits, write what you hope grows from that care — it doesn't have to be something big!

AGE NOTE: For ages 6–8, simplify the Long Answer section to one question (Question 2) and let children answer it verbally or with a drawing instead of writing. For ages 9–10, all three Long Answer questions and the full Vocabulary Activity can be used as written.

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