“For a human character to reveal truly exceptional qualities, one must
have the good fortune to be able to observe its performance over many
years. If this performance is devoid of all egoism, if its guiding
motive is unparalleled generosity, if it is absolutely certain that
there is no thought of recompense and that, in addition, it has left its
visible mark upon the earth, then there can be no mistake.”
"The Man Who Planted Trees (French title L'homme qui plantait des arbres), also known as The Story of Elzéard Bouffier, The Most Extraordinary Character I Ever Met, and The Man Who Planted Hope and Reaped Happiness, is an allegorical tale by French author Jean Giono, published in 1953.
It tells the story of one shepherd's long and successful singlehanded effort to re-forest a desolate valley in the foothills of the Alps near Provence throughout the first half of the 20th century. The tale is quite short—only about 4000 words long."