Cow, Sheep, and Pig were the best of friends on Farmer McGregor's farm. They spent their days grazing in the fields, sharing stories, and generally enjoying the simple life. One sunny afternoon, Farmer McGregor brought a large crate into the barn.
"This," he announced, "is a new apple tree! It will provide us with delicious apples for years to come."
The animals were excited. They watched as Farmer McGregor planted the tree just outside the barn. As the days turned into weeks, the tree grew taller, and soon, it was laden with juicy, red apples. Cow, Sheep, and Pig would often stand beneath the tree, their mouths watering, waiting for the apples to ripen.
One morning, Pig woke up with a particularly strong craving for apples. It looked at the tree, heavy with fruit, and then at its friends, who were still asleep. A mischievous thought popped into its head. "Just one little apple," it thought, "they won't even notice."
Pig tiptoed to the tree and plucked a large, red apple. It gobbled it down, savoring the sweet, juicy taste. It was so delicious that it took another, and then another. Soon, it had eaten several apples.
Meanwhile, Cow and Sheep woke up. They went outside and saw Pig standing by the apple tree, looking guilty. Several apples lay on the ground, half-eaten.
"Pig," Cow said sternly, "did you take those apples?"
Pig hung its head. "Yes, I did," it mumbled. "I couldn't help myself."
Sheep sighed. "Pig, you know that's stealing. Those apples don't belong to you. They belong to Farmer McGregor."
Pig felt ashamed. It knew its friends were right. It had broken the trust they had in him, and it had disobeyed the unspoken rule of the farm: "Thou shalt not steal."
"I'm sorry," it said, tears welling up in its eyes. "I'll tell Farmer McGregor what I did, and I'll make it up to him."
Pig confessed to Farmer McGregor, who was disappointed but appreciated Pig's honesty. As a punishment, Pig had to help Farmer McGregor with extra chores for a week.
Pig learned a valuable lesson that day. It understood that even though the apples were tempting, they weren't its to take. It also learned that honesty and making amends are always the best course of action. From that day on, Pig never stole anything again, and its friendship with Cow and Sheep grew even stronger.