brettastarr68

Jul 10, 20213 min

The Giving Tree, by Shel Silverstein

Once there was a tree....
 
and she loved a little boy.
 
And everyday the boy would come
 
and he would gather her leaves
 
and make them into crowns
 
and play king of the forest.
 
He would climb up her trunk
 
and swing from her branches
 
and eat apples.
 
And they would play hide-and-go-seek.And when he was tired,
 
he would sleep in her shade.
 
And the boy loved the tree....
 
very much.
 
And the tree was happy.
 
But time went by.
 
And the boy grew older.
 
And the tree was often alone.
 
Then one day the boy came to the tree
 
and the tree said, 'Come, Boy, come and
 
climb up my trunk and swing from my
 
branches and eat apples and play in my
 
shade and be happy.'
 
'I am too big to climb and play' said
 
the boy.
 
'I want to buy things and have fun.
 
I want some money?'
 
'I'm sorry,' said the tree, 'but I
 
have no money.
 
I have only leaves and apples.
 
Take my apples, Boy, and sell them in
 
the city. Then you will have money and
 
you will be happy.'
 
And so the boy climbed up the
 
tree and gathered her apples
 
and carried them away.
 
And the tree was happy.
 
But the boy stayed away for a long time....
 
and the tree was sad.
 
And then one day the boy came back
 
and the tree shook with joy
 
and she said, 'Come, Boy, climb up my trunk
 
and swing from my branches and be happy.'
 
'I am too busy to climb trees,' said the boy.
 
'I want a house to keep me warm,' he said.
 
'I want a wife and I want children,
 
and so I need a house.
 
Can you give me a house ?'
 
' I have no house,' said the tree.
 
'The forest is my house,
 
but you may cut off
 
my branches and build a
 
house. Then you will be happy.'
 

 
And so the boy cut off her branches
 
and carried them away
 
to build his house.
 
And the tree was happy.
 
But the boy stayed away for a long time.
 
And when he came back,
 
the tree was so happy
 
she could hardly speak.
 
'Come, Boy,' she whispered,
 
'come and play.'
 
'I am too old and sad to play,'
 
said the boy.
 
'I want a boat that will
 
take me far away from here.
 
Can you give me a boat?'
 
'Cut down my trunk
 
and make a boat,' said the tree.
 
'Then you can sail away...
 
and be happy.'
 
And so the boy cut down her trunk
 
and made a boat and sailed away.
 
And the tree was happy
 
... but not really.
 

 
And after a long time
 
the boy came back again.
 
'I am sorry, Boy,'
 
said the tree,' but I have nothing
 
left to give you -
 
My apples are gone.'
 
'My teeth are too weak
 
for apples,' said the boy.
 
'My branches are gone,'
 
said the tree. ' You
 
cannot swing on them - '
 
'I am too old to swing
 
on branches,' said the boy.
 
'My trunk is gone, ' said the tree.
 
'You cannot climb - '
 
'I am too tired to climb' said the boy.
 
'I am sorry,' sighed the tree.
 
'I wish that I could give you something....
 
but I have nothing left.
 
I am just an old stump.
 
I am sorry....'
 
'I don't need very much now,' said the boy.
 
'just a quiet place to sit and rest.
 
I am very tired.'
 
'Well,' said the tree, straightening
 
herself up as much as she could,
 
'well, an old stump is good for sitting and resting
 
Come, Boy, sit down. Sit down and rest.'
 
And the boy did.
 
And the tree was happy.

Shel Silverstein

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