The Man Who Planted Trees

L'Homme qui plantait des arbres

The story begins in the year 1913, when a young man who is the narrator was travelling alone on a hiking trip through Provence. The narrator leaves the shepherd, returns home, and later fights in the First World War. In 1920, shell-shocked and depressed after the war, the man returns. He is surprised to see young saplings of all forms taking root in the valley, and new streams running through it, where the shepherd has made dams higher up in the mountains. The narrator makes a full recovery in the peace and beauty of the regrowing valley, and continues to visit the region and M. Bouffier every year. The valley receives official protection after the First World War, with the French authorities mistakenly believing that the rapid growth of the new forest is a bizarre natural phenomenon, as they are unaware of Bouffier's selfless deeds. Over four decades, Bouffier continues to plant trees, and the valley is turned into a kind of Garden of Eden. The valley is vibrant with more than 10,000 people living there, not knowing they owe their happiness to Bouffier. In 1945, the narrator visits the now very old Bouffier last time. In 1947, in a hospice in Banon, the man who planted trees peacefully passes away.

Story added by jakubduda on June 30, 2021