Johnny Appleseed

A long time ago, when America was still young, there lived a man named John Chapman. People called him Johnny Appleseed, and here is why. Johnny loved apples more than anything in the world. He loved how they looked, how they smelled, and how they crunched when he bit into them.

Families were moving west to build new farms, but there were no apple trees there. “I will plant apple trees, so everyone can have apples,” said Johnny. So he filled a big sack with apple seeds and set off walking. He wore no shoes, and some people say he wore a cooking pot on his head for a hat.

Johnny walked through forests and over hills, and he planted seeds wherever he went. He dug the soil, dropped in the seeds, and patted the earth down gently. He planted them by rivers, in meadows, and in sunny clearings in the woods. He built little fences around the young trees to keep them safe.

Johnny was kind to everyone he met. He shared his food with families, and he told stories to the children by the fire. He was kind to animals too, and he never hurt a creature, big or small. People say that one cold night he let a mother bear and her cubs sleep in his hollow log, while he slept outside in the snow.

Year after year, Johnny walked and planted, walked and planted. Slowly, tiny green shoots grew into tall trees covered in pink and white blossoms. Then the blossoms turned into round, shiny apples, red and green and gold. Families picked the apples and made apple pies, apple juice, and apple butter.

Johnny Appleseed planted apple trees for almost fifty years. People say that one of his trees is still growing today. So the next time you eat an apple, look at the little seeds inside. Each one could grow into a whole new tree, just like Johnny’s trees did.