Tuesday, June 07, 2005
I remember my GP teacher Miss Lee showing this story last time in JC... and I remembered there was this heart wrenching feeling at the end of the story... and even now when I read it, I still get the same feeling... A really wonderful story...
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. 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 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 wish that I could give you something...
but I have nothing left. " said the tree, " 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.The tree is like our parents, selfless and giving... always sacrificing themselves just to make us happy. And we children take their happiness for granted and never once stopped to realise how much it will really mean to them for us to appreciate them. And ultimately, no matter what kind of problems you experience outside, how helpless you are feeling, there is no one like your parents who will always be there for you, and no one else, not friends, and maybe not even your partner, will be as self-sacrificing as your parents, who will always be there for you no matter what happens.
Goodness me... I tink there's sumthing realli wrong with mi. It's 3am plus now, and here I am, writing abt such things, and as I write I'm all teary. I need help... I'm evolving into some weirdo!!!
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* xuan * listened
@ |6/07/2005 03:22:00 AM|
