In a forest there was a crooked tree. Its trunk and branches were odd-shaped. All the other trees around were straight and shapely. The crooked tree looked at them and said, "How fine and straight they are!" Then it added in a sad voice, "How unlucky I am! Why should I alone be crooked and ugly?" One day a woodcutter came to the forest. He looked at the crooked tree and said, "This tree is absolutely useless for me." He selected all the fine and straight trees and cut them down. Thereafter the crooked tree never felt sad for its ugliness. In fact, its ugliness had saved it from the axe of the woodcutter.