hieves of the Forest

aron Von Lodge was the head of a small country known as Lilliland near Switzerland. The time was the early 1900s.

The Baron is very proud of the special section of the forest in Lilliland that has so many trees. Many of the trees are over 400 years old. Those old trees are protected by a decree from the Baron and the Baron's father and his father for many years.

Visitors to that special section of the forest must not do anything to cause hurt or injury to any tree. Trees that old are treated with love and respect by all of the citizens of Lilliland.

One day it was discovered that during the night several of the precious old trees were cut down and hauled away. The Baron summoned the security officers of the castle and the mountain climbers to investigate the matter immediately before more of the trees are cut down.

Security guards disguised as bushes hid in the area for many hours until finally one night a small band of thieves arrived in the forest. The Baron was summoned to the location and all the thieves were arrested with the saws and axes and cuttings still in their hands.

The Baron took them into custody and held them in the castle jail cells that had not been used in many years. The thieves pleaded guilty and the officers of the court and the judge gave them a sentence for cutting down the very valuable 400-year-old trees of the Lilliland forest.

The three thieves of the forest would have to plant a total of several hundred new young trees in the forest. This would take many weeks of hard work. Then they would be banished from Lilliland for the rest of their days, never to be welcome in Lilliland again.