The Giving Tree
Good morning to the honourable judges, teachers and friends. I
am __________________ from SK Beladin and I would like to
tell you a story entitled “THE GIVING TREE”.
Once, there was a tree in the forest which stood tall and
green. This tree loved a little boy and its heart would pound
when it heard his footsteps. The boy would come every day to
play with the tree after school and tell everything about his
everyday happenings. They talked for hours to hours. The tree
listened to the boy and laugh with him. He would climb up its
trunk and swing from its branches, eat apples and would sleep.
“Hello, Tree! How have you been? Ha ha ha! Someone hid a frog
in the teacher’s desk today. It hopped out during our dictation
quiz and said “wrebbit!” And I wrote “wrebbit” in my notebook!
Hahaha!”
“Oh, that’s very funny. Your teacher must have been very
shocked!”
But time went by. And the boy grew older. And the tree was
often alone.
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’m 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 only have
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 his apples
and carried them away.
And the tree was happy.
But the boy stayed away for long time…and the tree was sad.
And then one day, the boy came back and the tree was shocked
with joy and he 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 his branches and carried them away to
build his house.
And the tree was happy.
But the boy stayed away for long time.
And when he came back, the tree was so happy he could hardly
speak.
“Come, Boy,” he 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 the tree was happy.
And so the boy cut down his trunk.
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 himself up as he could.
“Well, an old stump is good for sitting and resting. Come, Boy.
Sit down and rest. And the boy did.
This is a story of everyone, the tree is like your parents. No
matter what, parents will always be there and give everything
that they could just to make you happy. No matter how busy
you are, share some time with them. Thank you.
