The Digglers

In the middle of the field, stood a large apple tree. During spring it was covered in beautiful pink blossom and when the blossom died, little green apples started to grow. Now one of these apples was determined to be the best. When the others started to turn red, he was still growing. He grew and he grew until he was the largest apple on the tree. The other apples didn't like him because he was always telling them how good he was so they stopped talking to him.

The summer was hot and sunny and very soon the apples were ripe all except the one who thought he was the best, he was still growing. The farmer who owned the field brought two men from the village to look at the tree. They were going to buy the apples and sell them. The apple heard the men talking to the farmer. They told him they would come the next day and collect the apples and take them into the village to sell.
'I'm not going to be eaten! I'm too good for that! I'm the best apple in the world!' said the apple to himself.

That night when all the apples were asleep, two boys crept into the field. They were going to steal some. One of the boys climbed the tree and began throwing the apples down to the other boy who put them in a basket. Very soon he began to pull at the biggest apple. He awoke with a start.
'What's going on?' he said to himself. He soon realised what was happening and he hung onto the tree as hard as he could. The boy stopped pulling when he knew he couldn't pull the apple off the tree. At last the boys had their basket full and they left the field and went home.

The next morning when the two men arrived to collect the apples, they were cross when they saw some missing. The apple who thought he was the best, hid behind some leaves and hoped the men wouldn't see him. How pleased he felt when he saw the two men leaving the field.
'What a clever apple I am. I've now got the tree to myself'.

The sun continued to shine and he got redder and redder but somehow he didn't feel as clever.
'I'm such a beautiful apple, but no-one will see me stuck up here!' He also began to feel lonely. Someone did see him. It happened one bright, sunny morning. The farmer was coming up the lane and was bringing a bull with him. He opened the gate and let the bull in. He then closed the gate and went back down the lane leaving the bull in the field. The bull had a walk round his new field and looked up at the apple tree. He went over to have a look. He looked up and saw the big juicy red apple. The bull liked apples and thought he would like that one. But how was he going to get it down? The bull walked away from the tree, put his head down and ran as fast as he could and hit the tree with his head. All the branches began to shake.
'Help!' shouted the apple as he felt himself move and he clung onto the tree as hard as he could.
'I'm not going to eaten by a bull, I'm too good for that!'
The bull looked up and saw the apple still in the tree and decided to have another go. He put his head down, stamped his hoof, gave a loud snort and charged at the tree but the apple was clinging on so tightly that the bull gave up and went to look for something else to do.
'Phew! That was close!' said the apple to himself, still shaking with fear.

The long hot sunny days were coming to an end and still the apple was stuck on the tree. Now he was feeling very lonely, not only had the other apples left him but now the leaves were going too. What would he do?
'If only I hadn't been so stupid, I wouldn't have been left by myself!'
All of a sudden, he heard a rustling noise. He stopped feeling sorry for himself and began to look to see where the noise was coming from. He didn't need to look far, coming towards him were two hairy caterpillars. The caterpillars looked hungry and he knew what they were after.
'I'm not going to be eaten by two, hairy caterpillars. I'm too good for that! What am I to do?'
At last, he knew what to do. He began to shake himself. He shook and shook trying to get away from the tree. There was a snapping sound and a thud as he fell to the ground. He didn't hurt himself as he fell into a pile of leaves. But something else had seen him, a big hairy spider. He began to shake himself again and this time he rolled. He rolled himself away from the tree. Too late! Two rabbits had seen him and carried him away to their burrow.

The apple was never seen again. When spring arrived, a tiny apple tree began to grow by the stream and now it is the biggest and best apple tree.

The End