The Giving Tree
This is a story about friendship and nature's unconditional love. In a forest, on the outskirts of the city, there was a tree that was tall and green. It had long, thick branches. Its countless green leaves swayed gently in the wind.
Birds came from distant places to perch on its branches and chirp their songs. It was a beautiful and joyful tree. The tree had a very special bond with a little boy from a nearby town.
The child came every day and played with the tree after school. He used to eat the apples from the tree and play hide-and-seek. They talked and told stories for hours. The boy used to share everything with the tree: his ideas, his plans for the future, his thoughts, and his daily happenings from school.
The tree used to listen to the boy and laugh with him. They understood each other's dreams, and their bond grew stronger. The boy made crowns from leaves and pretended to be king. He climbed the tree trunk and swung from its branches.
— Ha ha ha ha! — Ha ha ha ha! — The water is so clean and sparkling, tree! — Yes, it is. — You're lucky. You have the best view. The sparkling water, the setting sun, the breeze. No wonder you're so happy. I could live here forever. — The water, the sun, and the breeze will always be here. What makes me happiest is that I can share them with you. — Ha ha! You're the best, tree! I love you! — I love you too.
He talked to the tree for hours. After playing and talking, tired, the boy used to sleep in its shade. As the years passed, the boy grew up and made new friends. He became increasingly busy and spent less time with the tree. The tree cherished the few moments it had with the boy.
— Don't you hate it when the sun sets? Or when you lose your leaves in winter? — I get sad, sure. But I know the sun will return the next morning, and the leaves will come back in spring. I like waiting for them. — You're right. But the setting sun is also so beautiful. You're lucky, tree, you have a superb view. I could live here forever. — I don't know much about luck. But the sun is always here. I enjoy it when I'm with you. You can live here forever. I know you like it. — Ha ha! It's not that easy. You don't have responsibilities. I have to work and be someone. I have to build a future for myself. I want to be happy. — Aren't you happy now? — I am. But I want more.
The Boy Leaves and the Tree's Loneliness
In time, the boy stopped visiting the tree. The tree was mostly alone, waiting to see the boy. Then, one day, the boy came to visit the tree. The tree was happy to see him. Its heart fluttered with every step the boy took towards it.
Straightening itself, the tree called out to the boy.
— Come, boy! Come and climb my trunk and swing from my branches and eat apples. Be happy! — I'm too big to climb a tree or swing from your branches. — Come see the sunset, boy! You always loved it. — I'm busy now. I want to buy things. I want to see the world. — Why do you look sad? — I want money, tree! In the world, you need money to be happy.
The tree didn't want to see the boy sad.
— Take my apples, boy, and sell them at the market. Then you'll have some money. I'm sorry. I don't have money to give you. I only have leaves and apples. — Really, tree? Can I do that? — Will it make you happy? — Yes! Thank you, tree! You're the best!
So the boy climbed the tree, gathered all the apples, and took them far away to sell at the market. The tree was happy to help the boy. But the boy stayed away for a long time, and the tree was sad.
Years passed. Birds came, chirped their songs, and left, and the tree waited, standing tall with its long branches at the edge of the cliff, waiting for the boy's return.
The Tree's Sacrifice
And then, one day, the boy returned. The tree trembled with joy.
— Come, boy! Come and climb my trunk and swing from my branches and be happy! — I don't have time to climb trees. I'm too busy. I'm married now. Tree, I have a wife and children. — You've truly grown. But why don't you look happy now? This is what you wanted. — I'm worried, tree. I would be happy if I could build a house for my family. I want them to be warm and safe. — I don't have a house to give you. The forest is my home. But look, I have some branches. You can cut my branches and make a house from them. Then you will be happy. — Thank you, tree!
Then the boy climbed the tree and cut all the branches and took them away. The tree was happy to help the boy. But the boy stayed away for a long time, and the tree was sad. Years passed, but the boy never came to visit the tree again.
The tree could no longer talk to the birds, because now they only circled it and flew away. The birds no longer had branches to perch on and chirp their songs. When they were on the ground, the tree always asked them about the boy, but none had seen him. The tree felt lonely.
The tree stood there at the edge of the cliff, trying to look for the boy. It watched as the city changed. The tree saw how distant pastures were destroyed for the construction of roads and buildings. It saw how trees were cut down and uprooted and how towers were built on the green lands.
More people came, clearing the surrounding forest and building houses for themselves. The forest was losing its greenery. The tree was sad to see its home torn down. But what could it do? Because it was just a trunk. The tree was very lonely now, but it still eagerly waited for the boy to come.
The Final Reunion
Then, one day, the boy came to visit it. He was now a full-grown adult. The tree was so happy to see the boy that it could barely speak. But the boy seemed very sad. The boy sat down, leaning against the tree, and began to cry. The tree's heart broke when it saw him crying.
The tree had no branches to offer the boy comfort. It had no apples to cheer him up. It could only offer support to lean on.
— What happened, boy? Why are you so sad? — My wife left me, and my children don't care about me. I don't want to live in a place where no one loves me. All I want now is to go far away from this place. I don't want to live here anymore. — You always chase after happiness, boy. You must stand still and wait for happiness to come to you. — There is no happiness here. If I could build a boat and sail on the crystal clear waters, lounge on a boat and gather all the warmth of the sun. — Will you be happy then? — Yes. I will be peaceful and happy. — Here. Cut down my trunk and build a boat. Then you can sail far away. — Really, tree? Thank you. You're the best.
The boy brought his tools and cut down the tree's trunk. He built a boat from it. He seemed happy and relieved. The tree was happy to have helped the boy. It watched him build the boat. Then, it watched him sail into the distance. There was the sun, the breeze, the crystal clear water, and the boy sailing towards them.
The tree no longer felt lucky now. It was sad to see the boy moving away, just like the sun it once talked about. Now the tree was just a stump at the edge of the cliff. Years passed, and the tree was increasingly lonely. It could no longer see the buildings in the distance or the hills. It could no longer stand tall and see its home or the people. Because it was just a wooden stump on the ground.
It missed the birds. It missed watching the pastures in the distance. It missed the comfort of its home. But more than anything, it missed the boy. Finally, the boy returned to the tree. The city was no longer the same. Now there were man-made buildings in place of Mother Nature. The forest had been cleared, and the green pastures were gone.
The boy was an old man now. It was hard for him to breathe. He was hunched over and walked with a cane. He wondered if he would still find the tree.
— The city is swallowing the forest. I hope I find my dear friend.
And so he did. It was exactly where he left it, the stump, waiting.
— You came! I've waited for you for a long time. — Ah! Yes, tree. I'm glad to see you again. I sailed to another city. I lived there for a few years. Uh uh uh! — Are you breathing heavily? — Yes, I can't breathe well because of the pollution. — I'm so sorry, boy. I have nothing to offer you. My apples are gone. — My teeth are too fragile to eat apples. — My branches are gone. You can no longer swing from them. — I'm too old to swing from branches. — My trunk is gone. You can no longer climb. — Oh, I'm too tired to climb anymore. My back hurts now.
The tree sighed.
— Ah! I'm sorry. I wish I could give you something, but I have nothing left. I'm just an old stump. — The forest is disappearing. Concrete cannot provide clean air. Trees can. Buildings do not provide comfort. How greedy can a man be? Cities, instead, pollute the clean air. People don't understand the importance of nature.
The tree did not answer. It had nothing to say.
— Ah! Now I'm old and tired all the time. All I want is to breathe clean air and a quiet place to sit.
The tree straightened itself as much as it could.
— So, this is it. An old stump is good for sitting and resting. Come, boy, sit down. Sit down and rest.
The boy sat on the tree and took a deep breath. He watched the sun set over the sparkling waters. He felt the delicate breeze.
— You're lucky, tree! You have the best view. The sun, the breeze, and the sparkling waters.
Then they talked about life and how the world around them had changed. The boy told the tree his story, and the tree was happy.
The Moral of the Story
The human-nature relationship is an immortal one. We must respect and protect Mother Nature. Remember: trees need people, just as people need trees.
Save the forest. Save...
