The Giving Tree, By Shel
Silverstein.
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 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 my 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 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.
The End.
PECKEN'
The Saddest thing
I ever did see was
a woodpecker peckin
at a plastic tree.
he looks at me and
"friend," say he,
things ain't sweet as
they used to be.
The Folks inside
Inside you, boy,
there's an old man
sleepen' dreamen 'waiten'
for his chance
there's an old lady
dozen 'wonten'
to show you a slower dance.
So keep on playin'
keep on runnin'
keep on jumpin 'til the day
That those old folks
down in side you
Wake up...and
come out to play.
The perfect High
"Well, that is that,"
says boba fats,
sitten back down
on his stone,
facen another
thousand years
of talking to god alone
"Its seems lord", says Fats
It's always the same
old men or
bright-eyed youth
It's always easier to sell
them blank
then it is to give
them the truth.