The Giving Tree
“once
there was
a tree …
and she loved
a little boy
and every day
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
her 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
can you give me
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 can 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”
By Poet Shel Silverstein