30 年前，美国作家Shel Silverstein 为孩子们描绘了一棵大树与一个男孩温馨动人的故事。至今这个故事流传世界各地，它的美丽和哀伤让每个年龄的人都为之心动。 好多年以前读到这个故事，我为大树无私的爱感动的落泪。如今再读它，有了更深的感触。在母亲节之际，我心存感激，我要向朋友们介绍这个故事。

The Giving Tree

   Oncethere was a tree..... and she loved a little boy. And every day the boywould come and he would gather her leaves and make them into crowns andplay king of the forest. He would climb up her trunk and swing from herbranches and eat apples. And they would play hide-and-go-seek. And whenhe was tired, he would sleep in her shade. And the boy loved thetree.......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 applesand play in my shade and be happy"

  "I am too big to climb and play", said the boy. "I want to buy thingsand 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 leavesand apples. Take my apples, Boy, and sell them in the city. Then youwill have money and you will be happy." And so the boy climbed up thetree and gathered her apples and carried them away. And the tree washappy.

   Butthe boy stayed away for a long time... and the tree was sad. And thenone 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 keepme warm.  I want a wife and I want children, and so I need a house. Canyou give me a house?"

  "I have no house," said the tree. "The forest is my house, but you maycut off my branches and build a house. Then you will be happy." And theboy cut off her branches and carried them away to build his house. Andthe tree was happy.

  But the boy stayed away for a long time. And when he came back, thetree 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 can 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 sailaway...... and be happy." And so the boy cut down her trunk and made aboat and sailed away. And the tree was happy.... but not really. Andafter 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 yousomething------ but I have nothing left. I am just an old stump."

   "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, sitdown. Sit down and rest." And the boy did. And the tree was happy.

从前有一棵大树，它喜欢上一个男孩儿。男孩儿每天会跑到树下，给自己做王冠，想像自己就是森林之王。他也常常爬上树干，在树枝上荡秋千，吃树上结的苹果，同大树捉迷藏。累了的时候，就在树阴里睡觉。

　　小男孩儿爱这棵树，非常非常爱它，大树很快乐。但是时光流逝，孩子逐渐长大，大树常常感到孤寂。

　　有一天孩子来看大树，大树说：“来吧，孩子，爬到我身上来，在树枝上荡秋千，吃几个苹果，再到阴凉里玩一会儿。你会很快活的！”

　　“我已经大了，不爱爬树玩儿了，”孩子说，“我想买些好玩儿的东西。我需要些钱，你能给我一点儿钱吗？”

　　“很抱歉，”大树说，“我没有钱，我只有树叶和苹果。把我的苹果拿去吧，孩子，把它们拿到城里卖掉，你就会有钱，就会快活了。”

　　于是孩子爬上大树，摘下树上的苹果，把它们拿走了。大树很快乐。

　　很久很久，孩子没有再来看望大树。大树很难过。

　　后来有一天，孩子又来了。大树高兴地摇晃着肢体，对孩子说：“来吧，孩子，爬到我的树干上，在树枝上荡秋千，你会很快活的！”

　　“我有很多事要做，没有时间爬树了。“孩子说，“我需要一幢房子保暖。”他接着说，“我要娶个妻子，还要生好多孩子，所以我需要一幢房子。你能给我一幢房子吗？”

　　“我没有房子，”大树说，“森林就是我的房子。但是你可以把我的树枝砍下来，拿去盖房。你就会快活了。”于是那个男孩儿把大树的树枝都砍下来，把它们拿走，盖了一幢房子。大树很快乐。

　　孩子又有很长时间没有来看望大树了。

　　当他终于又回来的时候，大树非常高兴，高兴得几乎说不出话来。“来吧，孩子，”它声音喑哑地说，“来和我玩玩吧！”

　　“我年纪已经大了，心情也不好，不愿意玩儿了。”孩子说，“我需要一条船，驾着它到远方去，离开这个地方。你能给我一条船吗？”

　　“把我的树干砍断，用它做船吧。”大树说，“这样你就可以航行到远处去，你就会快活了。”于是孩子把树干砍断，做了一条船，驶走了。大树很快乐，但是心坎里却有些……

　　又过了很久，那孩子又来了。“非常抱歉，孩子，”大树说，“我没有什么可以给你的了。我没有苹果了。”

　　“我的牙齿已经老化，吃不动苹果了。”孩子说。

　　“我没有枝条了，”大树说，“你没法儿在上面荡秋千了——”

　　“我太老了，不能再荡秋千了。”孩子说。

　　“我也没有树干，”大树说，“不能让你爬上去玩了——”

　　“我很疲倦，爬也爬不动了。”孩子说。

　　“真是抱歉，”大树叹了口气，“我希望还能给你点儿什么东西……但是我什么都没有了。我现在只是个老树墩，真的对不起……”

　　“我现在需要的实在不多，”孩子说，“只想找个安静的地方坐坐，好好休息。我太累了。”

　　“那好吧。”大树说，它尽量把身子挺高，“你看，我这个老树墩，正好叫你坐在上面休息。来吧，孩子，坐下吧，坐在我身上休息吧。”于是孩子坐下了。

大树很快乐。