“…And after a long time the boys 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 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 herself up as much as she could, “Well, an old stump is a good for sitting and resting. Come, Boy, sit down and rest.”
And the boy did. And the tree was happy.
— Shel Silverstein - The Giving Tree, 1964
