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Adobe Scan 28 Nov 2024

The narrator recounts a long hike through a desolate region where he encounters a shepherd named Elzéard Bouffier, who has dedicated his life to planting trees in the barren landscape. Despite the harsh conditions, Bouffier has successfully planted over one hundred thousand acorns, creating a forest that transforms the area. The narrator is deeply moved by Bouffier's solitary commitment to restoring life to the land, highlighting the power of individual action in contrast to destruction.

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31 views

Adobe Scan 28 Nov 2024

The narrator recounts a long hike through a desolate region where he encounters a shepherd named Elzéard Bouffier, who has dedicated his life to planting trees in the barren landscape. Despite the harsh conditions, Bouffier has successfully planted over one hundred thousand acorns, creating a forest that transforms the area. The narrator is deeply moved by Bouffier's solitary commitment to restoring life to the land, highlighting the power of individual action in contrast to destruction.

Uploaded by

subhab878
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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About forty years ago Iwent on a long

hike, through hills absolutely unknown to


tourists, in that very old region where the
Alps penetrate into Provence.

It consisted of barren and monotonous


lands.
Nothing grew there except wild lavender.

I was crossing this country at its widest


part,and after walking for three days, I
found myself in the most complete
desolation.

Iwas camped next to an abandoned


village.

Ihad used the last of mywater the day


before and Ineeded to find more.
These ruined houses of the village made
me think that there must, at one time,
have been a spring or a well there.

There was indeed a spring, but it was


dry.

All life had disappeared.

It was abeautiful June day with plenty


of sun, but on these shelterless lands,
high up in the sky, the wind whistled
continually.
Itssound was like that of a wild beast
disturbed during its meal.

Ihad to move my camp.

After five hours of walking, Istill hadn't


found water, and nothing gave me hope
of finding any.

:Activity 1:
Tick the correct alternative
Everywhere there was the same dryness,
the same stiff, woody plants.

Ithought I sawinthe distance the


shadow of a fiqure.

On achance Iheaded towards it.

Itwas a shepherd.

Thirty lambs or so were resting near him


on the scorching ground.

Hegave me adrink and alittle later he


led me to his shepherd's cottage.

He shared his soup with me.

It had been agreed immediately that l


would pass the night there, the closest
village being still more than a day and a
half farther on.

There are four or five villages dispersed


far from one another on the flanks of the
hills in this area.
Theyare inhabited by woodcutters who
make charcoal.

The shepherd took out a bag and poured


a pile of acorns out onto the table.

He began to examine them one after


another with a great deal of attention,
separatingthe good ones from the bad.

When he had before him one hundred


perfect acorns he stopped, and we went
to bed.
The company of this man brought me a
feeling of peace.

He gave me the impression that nothing


could disturb him.

I was intrigued and Iwanted to find out


more about this man.

:Activity 4:
Complete the following
sentences with information
from the text:
Before going out the next day, he soaked
in abucket of water the acorns that he
had so carefully chosen and counted.

He carried an iron rod too, as a walking


stick.

He invited me to come along with him.

Havingarrived at the place he had been


heading for, he began to pound his iron
rod into the ground.
This made a hole in which he placed an
acorn,and covered over the hole again.

He was planting oak trees.

Inthis way, he planted his one hundred


acorns with great care.

He told me that for three years now he


had been planting trees in this solitary
way.

He had plantedone hundredthousand.


Of these one hundred thousand, twenty
thousand had come up.

It was at this moment that I began to


wonder about his age.

He was clearly morethan fifty.

Fifty-five, he told me.

His name was Elzéard Bouffier.

He had owned afarm in the plains,


where he lived most of his life.
He had lost his only son, and then his
wife.

He had retired into this solitude,where


he took pleasure in livingslowly, with his
flock of sheep and his dog.

He had concluded that this country was


dying for lack of trees.

He added that,having nothing more


important todo, he had resolved to
remedy the situation.
We parted the next day.

The next year the war came, in which |


engaged for five years.

With the war behind me, Ihad a great


desire to breathe a little pure air, and I
set out again along the trail through that
deserted country.

The land had not changed.


Ever since the day before, Ihad been
thinking about the shepherd who
planted trees.

Ten thousand oaks, I had said to myself,


must really take up a lot of space.

When Imet Elzéard Bouffier this time, I


found that the war had not disturbed
him at all.

He had continued with his planting.

The oaks of 1910were now ten year


old and were taller than me and ther
him.
The scene was impressive.

I was actually speechless and we


passed the whole day in silence, walking
through his forest.

It was in three sections, eleven


kilometers longoverall and, at its widest
point, three kilometers wide.

When Iconsidered that this had all


sprung from the hands and from the
soulof this one man without technical
When I considered that this had allI
sprung from the hands andfrom the
soul of this one man without technical
aids - it struck me that men could be as
effective as God in domains other than
destruction.

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