TRUCE IN THE FOREST

There was a lone mother and her twelve year old son, were hiding in a little cottage in the
forest near the German-Belgian border. While they are preparing for Christmas Eve, they heard a
knock on their door. When his mother open, she was frightened and silent when she see the
American soldiers who has a weapons. They serve them a coffee for them to lessen their
coldness. And they learned that the stocky dark haired yellow was Jim, his friend tall and slender
was Robin and he wounded one was harry. The Americans said to them that they are hiding from
their enemies and that is the German Soldiers. While they are busy in cooking, the boy heard
another knock on their door without hesitation. His mother went to open again the door she was
nervous and panic when she see the four German Soldiers, because they are the enemies of the
Americans who are inside at their house. The Germans Talked to her if they can stay to have rest
at her house. But before she answered, she said that they have three visitors that they will not
consider as a friend and this are the American soldiers. The Germans understand what she said,
so they fallowed the instructions, they put down their weapons at the woodpile and the
Americans put down also their weapons. When the foods are already served the Soldiers sit at
the chairs and they smiled with each other. His mother and him, was surprised and happy of the
result because they did not fight rather they talked and became friends at that night. Morning
rise, so the American and German soldiers decided to go home already. They were thankful to
his mother for letting them rest in their house. After that his mother gave them back their
weapons. And the American-German soldiers shake their hands before they go with their
families. Her mother and Him watched them until they disappear in opposite direction.

I. SETTING
Truce in the Forest is based on a true story from Christmas Eve, 1944, in the middle of
the Battle of the Bulge. A woman agrees to hide three American soldiers but finds herself in a
potentially explosive situation when German soldiers appear at her door. It is set through the
densely forested Ardennes Mountains region of Wallonia in Belgium.
 II. CHARACTERS
Fritz/Son - 12 year old boy who is the company of her mother that also agreed and
helped by getting potatoes for the soldiers to eat.

Mother - brave woman

Harry - wounded one

Jim - dark-haired fellow

Robin - tall and slender

German corporal - 23 years old

Hanz - from Cologne,16 yrs. old

Willi - from Cologne,16 yrs. old

III. PLOT SUMMARY

It was Christmas eve when 3 Americans (their enemy) knocked in the cottage of a mother
and her son. The mother took them in and healed Harry- the wounded one, and cooked for them
(Jim, Robin, Harry). Just as they were setting the table, there came another knock. The son was
familiar of the uniforms the men were wearing, they were Germans (German corporal, Heinz,
Willi) who was lost and will stay then continue their trip at daylight. The mother will take them
in and will be served with a hot meal with a one condition, and that is to not kill each other
inside. She ordered everyone to hand out their weapons. While the son was helping to cook more
potatoes, a German inspected the wounded soldier when he heard Harry moan. They were all
relaxed after their meal.

Just before midnight, they all stood up looking to the star of Bethlehem except for Harry
who was sleeping. It was as if they had all forgotten about the war.

At daylight, they had oatmeal, while Harry swallowed broth and drank an invigorating
drink from the corporal's wine, sugar and an egg. The Americans and Germans were figuring
their way out the forest and to their lines. The mother gave them all back their weapons and
wished them good luck and said God bless. The Americans and the Germans shook their hands
then went to their opposite ways. The mother brought out their old family bible which was open
to the Christmas story, the Birth in the Manger and how the Wise Men came from afar bearing
their gifts. Her finger was tracing the last line from Matthew 2:12: "...they departed into their
own country another way."

IV. CONFLICT
The conflict is the German soldiers and the American soldiers did not fight in the house of the
lady because its Christmas eve in 1944 and the boy was 12 yrs. old. The mother and her 12 yrs.
old boy was happy.

V. CLIMAX
"Truce in the Forest" is a story that takes place during World War II. Independent of each
other, some Allied soldiers and German soldiers showed up and knocked on the door of a cabin.
The Allied soldiers showed up first and one was wounded. The woman invited them in, even
though they were the enemy, and offered to feed them. Later, when the German soldiers
knocked, she let them in too, but told them there would be no trouble. She took their weapons,
then took the weapons of the Allied soldiers and fed them all. The conflict in the story is the fact
that the soldiers were on differing sides. Under different circumstances, they likely would have
tried to kill each other.

VI. THEME
The theme of the story "Truce in the Forest" is calm in the midst of a storm, peace in the
midst of a war, and the peace of God being stronger than the enmity of man.
MARCIAL O. RANOLA MEMORIAL SCHOOL
Guinobatan, Albay

PROJECT
IN
ENGLISH

SUBMITTED BY:

HERLYN N. MALLANTA
IV-SARDONYX

SUBMITTED TO:

MRS.DOLORES BITON
 It seems like a commonly held view that the kind of head-over-heels, passionate,
dizzying feelings of limerence at the beginning of a relationship inevitably fade over time and
aren't really what's important to a lasting partnership. (As seen by much of the advice in the
recent Marry or break up question.) Yet I also get the impression that most people make a
distinction between loving someone and being "in love" with someone, and consider having and
maintaining the "in love" feeling to be an important part of marriage. The difference between
love and limerence is pretty clear, but how exactly would you define the difference between
being "in love" and "love" on the one hand and the difference between being "in love" and
"limerence" on the other?

And how important is that "in love" feeling? Assume a couple has a good friendship,
enjoy spending time together, feel warm and fuzzy and happy about each other, have compatible
values and life goals, respect and admire each other and feel respected and valued by each other,
feel like they have a good and strong partnership, communicate well, have a good (although not
necessarily amazing) sex life that they're both satisfied with. Assume they love each other deeply
(in the "your happiness and well-being is very important to me, I'm willing to make sacrifices for
you" sense-- a very strong feeling, but one which could also apply to a parent or a child) and feel
willing to make a commitment to each other, to a future together, to working on their relationship
and working through problems that arise.

In your experience or that of those around you, how much difference does it make
whether the couple feels "in love" or not, or how strongly they feel that way, to their long term
happiness as a couple? And how/why? (i.e., does the "love" feeling deteriorate over time/in
stressful situations if the "in love" feeling is absent or weak? does the lack of the "in love"
feeling make people more vulnerable to a third party with whom they do feel the "in love"
feeling? etc)