1Once there was a tree...
2And she loved a little boy.
3And every day the boy would come
4and he would gather her leaves
5and make them into crowns and play king of the forest.
6He would climb up her trunk
7and swing from her branches
8and eat apples.
9And they would play hide and go seek.
10And when he was tired, he would sleep in her shade.
11And the boy loved the tree...
12Very much.
13And the tree was happy.
14But time went by.
15And the boy grew older.
16And the tree was often alone.
17...
18Then one day the boy came to the tree
19and the tree said, "Come, Boy,"
20"come and climb up my trunk and swing from my branches"
21"eat apples and play in my shade, and be happy."
22"I'm too big to climb and play," said the boy.
23"I want to buy things and have fun."
24"I want some money."
25"Can you give me some money?"
26"I'm sorry," said the tree,
27"but I have no money, I have only leaves and apples."
28"Take my apples, Boy, and sell them in the city."
29"Then you will have money and you will be happy."
30And so the boy climbed up the tree
31and gathered her apples and carried them away.
32And the tree was happy.
33But the boy stayed away for a long time...
34And the tree was sad.
35And then one day the boy came back
36and the tree shook with joy
37and she said, "Come, Boy, climb up my trunk"
38"and swing from my branches and be happy."
39"I am too busy to climb trees," said the boy.
40"I want a house to keep me warm," he said.
41"I want a wife and I want children,"
42"and so I need a house."
43"Can you give me a house?"
44"I have no house," said the tree.
45"The forest is my house,"
46"but you may cut off my branches and build a house."
47"Then you will be happy."
48And so the boy cut off her branches
49and carried them away to build his house.
50And the tree was happy.
51But the boy stayed away for a long time.
52And when he came back,
53the tree was so happy she could hardly speak.
54"Come, Boy," she whispered, "come and play."
55"I'm too old and sad to play," said the boy.
56"I want a boat that will take me far away from here."
57"Can you give me a boat?"
58"Cut down my trunk and make a boat," said the tree.
59"Then you can sail away... and be happy."
60And so the boy cut down her trunk
61and made a boat
62and sailed away.
63And the tree was happy...
64But... not really.
65And after a long time...
66the boy came back again.
67"I am sorry, Boy," said the tree,
68"but I have nothing left to give you..."
69"My apples are gone."
70"My teeth are too weak for apples," said the boy.
71"My branches are gone," said the tree.
72"You cannot swing on them"
73"I'm too old to swing on branches," said the boy.
74"My trunk is gone," said the tree.
75"You cannot climb"
76"I'm too tired to climb," said the boy.
77"I am sorry," sighed the tree.
78"I wish that I could give you something..."
79"but I have nothing left."
80"I'm just an old stump."
81"I am sorry..."
82"I don't need very much now," said the boy.
83"Just a quiet place to sit and rest."
84"I'm very tired."
85"Well," said the tree,
86straightening herself up as much as she could,
87"well... an old stump is good for sitting and resting."
88"Come, Boy, sit down."
89"Sit down and rest."
90And the boy did.
91And the tree was happy.
92The End