Max and the secret of the kiwi tree

It was a normal Saturday and I was at the supermarket with my mom again. I actually just wanted a pack of my favorite gummy bears, but Mum had other plans. ‘We’re having something healthy today,’ she said and put a kiwi in the shopping cart. I was really not thrilled. Kiwis are okay, but they can’t compete with gummy bears!

At home at dinner, I had to eat the kiwi. I reluctantly cut it open and – hey, what was that? In the center of the kiwi was a large, strangely beautiful seed. It almost looked like it was glowing. Suddenly the kiwi wasn’t so boring anymore.

I decided to plant the seed. And why not? I didn’t have a green thumb, but it couldn’t be that difficult. I put the seed in a small pot of soil and placed it on the windowsill in my room. Then I went to bed without giving it much thought.

But the next morning, wow! I could hardly believe my eyes. Overnight, a shoot had developed from the seed and was now sticking out of the pot. It grew so quickly that I could almost see it getting taller. Every day it was a little taller, and after a few weeks the little shoot had become a real tree! It grew so big that we had to plant it outside in the garden.

The kiwi tree quickly became the focal point of our garden. Soon the insects came too. First it was the bees. They buzzed from flower to flower and I learned that they not only made honey, but also helped to pollinate the plants. Without bees, many fruits and vegetables would not exist!

Then I discovered the ladybugs. They were so small and yet so powerful! Mom explained to me that ladybugs eat pests like aphids that could otherwise destroy the leaves of our kiwi tree. Each ladybug was a tiny hero in our garden.

Perhaps the most fascinating were the ants. I watched them marching in long lines, carrying all sorts of things. They worked together like a perfectly coordinated team to take care of their nest. I learned that each ant had a specific task and that their community was very dependent on cooperation.

One day I noticed that the kiwi tree was full of ripe, juicy fruit. I picked one and took a bite. It was sweeter and juicier than any supermarket kiwi I had ever eaten. As I savored the kiwis, I thought about how the small contributions of the insects had allowed the tree to grow such delicious fruit. The wait and care had really been worth it.

These insects all had an important role in our garden. I had quickly learned how valuable each of them was. Not only had they helped to make the kiwi tree a real treasure in our garden, but they had also shown me how everything in nature works together. This adventure – starting with a kiwi that I originally didn’t want to eat – had taught me a lot about nature.