The Orchard of Sleepless Trees

A small village had an orchard whose trees never slept. They rustled and shifted even on windless nights. Locals believed the trees were nourished by dreams: every time someone hoped sincerely, a new blossom appeared. During a difficult winter, hope dwindled and branches grew bare. A girl climbed one tree and whispered all the dreams she was too afraid to say aloud. By morning the orchard was heavy with fruit — warm, glowing, fragrant. Villagers ate from the branches, each fruit holding a dream of its own. They realized hope never disappears; it only waits for someone brave enough to feed it again.