There are many old palm trees right next to our house. Everyone knew the trees standing by the road—some loved them, while others were very afraid of them. Almost all the children in the village would say, “There’s a ghost in that palm tree!” Anyone would be too afraid to go there at night. But the people who farmed the land nearby knew for sure—this palm tree produced the sweetest palm fruit every year.
There was a boy in our village—his name was Niloy. He was quiet by nature, a little different from everyone else. He didn't mix with anyone. On the road, under those palm trees, he would sit and read books, draw pictures, fly kites, and weave a web of thoughts while looking at the sky.
Almost everyone in the village would say, “This boy is not right! He is always alone, sitting under the palm trees.”
His school friends would make fun of him—“Niloy has become a palm tree!”
But Niloy never said anything. One day, there was a drawing competition at school. Everyone drew pictures of flowers, rivers, houses. Niloy drew those palm trees—standing on one leg, looking up at the sky with their
heads held high.
Below it was written in small letters,
“Loneliness is never a weakness, it is my strength.”
The teachers were all amazed. That picture won the first prize in their school. The picture was published in the local small newspaper. All the people of the village understood that Niloy was actually lonely because he was immersed in his world of thoughts, just like him, he was strong, steady and permanent like those palm trees.
From then on, the people of the village no longer laughed at Niloy. Instead, they told their children,
“Look, if you are like Niloy, if you can stand tall like a palm tree, then no one can stop you from growing up.”
Educational aspects of the story:
This story teaches us that loneliness, silence, or isolation never means weakness. Sometimes, it becomes our greatest strength. To stand firm in one's place like a palm tree with one's head held high towards the sky is the true courage of life.
