El Gigante Egoísta

Once upon a time, in a small village nestled between rolling hills, there stood a grand castle that belonged to a giant. This giant was very selfish and lived alone in the big, spooky castle. Surrounding the castle was a beautiful garden filled with colorful flowers, tall trees, and a sparkling fountain. Every afternoon, the children from the village would sneak into the garden to play, laughing and chasing each other around. One day, the giant returned from a long journey. Seeing the children playing in his garden, he was furious. "How dare you play in my garden!" he roared. "This garden is mine, and only mine!" He built a high wall around it and put up a sign that read, "Keep Out! This is the Giant's Garden." The children were sad. They had no place to play anymore. With the garden now out of bounds, their laughter vanished. In the giant's sealed-off garden, time passed slowly. Spring came, but the garden remained covered in snow and ice. No birds sang, and no flowers bloomed. The seasons changed for everyone else, but inside the garden, it stayed winter forever. One morning, the giant awoke to a beautiful melody. He peered outside and saw that the children had found a small hole in the wall and had crept back inside. Where the children stood and played, the snow melted and flowers began to bloom. Birds chirped, and the garden was alive with color and warmth again. The giant's heart softened as he watched from his window. "How foolish I've been," he muttered. “My garden is so much lovelier with the children in it. I must let them know they are welcome." He hurried outside and gently removed the wall. "Children, children!" he called. "You can play here whenever you like!" The children were initially frightened but soon saw the kind smile on the giant's face. They cheered and resumed their play, filling the garden with joy once more. From that day on, the giant was no longer selfish. He played with the children and shared his beautiful garden with them. Seasons changed, and flowers bloomed year-round. Springtime returned, bringing everlasting joy to the garden, the giant, and the children. The giant eventually grew old and frail. One winter morning, he saw a little child, different from all the others, standing under a tree. The child was glowing with a soft light and had made flowers bloom around him, even in the snow. "Who are you?" asked the giant kindly. The child smiled and said, "You once let me play in your garden, and now I invite you to come play in mine." At that moment, the giant's spirit lifted, and he felt lighter than ever before. The villagers found him in the garden under the beautiful blossom tree, smiling as if he were in a dream. And so, the selfish giant was selfish no more. His garden remained a place of happiness, where children played and remembered the kind giant who had shared his heart and his garden with them.