The Orchard Agreement
Two rival gardeners discover that the boundary between their plots is less important than they thought.
Mr. Bell maintained that the oldest apple tree belonged to his garden. Miss Hart maintained that its roots had never consulted a surveyor.
Their disagreement filled three letters, two meetings of the village council, and one exceptionally uncomfortable church supper. Neither mentioned that the tree had produced no apples in five years.
When the storm came, both arrived at the boundary with a lantern. The tree leaned between them, its largest branch split under the weight of the rain.
Mr. Bell brought a saw. Miss Hart brought rope. For the first time in eleven months, they agreed on the next thing to do.
By dawn the damaged branch was gone and the remaining trunk was secure. They drank tea on an upturned crate, too tired to remember whose side of the boundary it stood on.
In spring, the tree flowered. In autumn, it filled seven baskets. Mr. Bell delivered three to Miss Hart and kept three for himself.
The final basket sat between their gates with a handwritten sign: Help yourself.
The council marked the dispute resolved. The surveyor was never consulted.