The Giving Tree

Once Upon a Time....

There was once a great apple tree and a little boy. They would spend hours and hours together. The boy would play in the tree's branches, sleep at her roots and eat of her apples. And the tree loved the boy.

One day, the boy came to the tree. The tree was delighted and beckoned, "Come and play!" But the boy was no longer a boy; he was now a young man, and he was interested in making a living, but he didn't know how. "Here," the tree said, "take my apples and sell them." The young man did just that, and the tree was happy.

Years passed, and the tree was lonely without the young man. One day, he returned, and the tree was delighted, but he was now interested in settling down. He wanted to build a house. "Here," the tree said, "Cut off my branches and build your house." The young man did just that, and the tree was happy.

Written By Shel Silverstein

STORK STORY

You know the stork brings babies,
But did you also know
He comes and gets the older folks When it's their time to go?

Zooms right down and scoops them up, Then flaps back out the door
And flies them to the factory where 
They all were made before. 

And there their skin is tightened up,
Their muscles all are toned,
                                               Their wrinkles all are ironed out,
                                               They're given -brand new bones.

                                               Ol' bent backs are straightened up,
                                               New teeth are added too,
                                               Tired hearts are all repaired
                                               And made to work like new.

                                               Their memories are all removed
                                               And they're shrunk down, and then  
                                               The stork flies them back down to earth
                                               As newborn babes again.

Written By Shel Silverstein