樹與男孩

早晨，兒子起床時，媽媽正在廚房洗碗。下樓來，他就在廚房的地板上興高采烈的跳來跳去。一邊跳一邊對媽媽說：「還有兩週就過聖誕節了。每一次過聖誕節時，我就很Peppy。」

媽媽沒有太聽懂他說的這個詞「Peppy」，就問他是甚麼意思。兒子做出要飛翔的樣子，說：「就是very happy!」。媽媽看著他，甜蜜的說：「看見你Happy 我也Happy。」

聽到媽媽說這一句話，兒子問媽媽：「你有沒有聽說過一本書『The Giving Tree'?」媽媽說沒有。兒子很失望的樣子。然後，不等媽媽再問，就自己給媽媽講起故事來。

「從前有一個小男孩和一棵樹。那棵樹和那個小男孩非常相愛。每天，小男孩都去和樹玩。他在樹蔭下睡覺，在樹枝上盪鞦韆，爬樹幹，還摘樹上的蘋果吃。樹覺得很幸福，很開心。她對小男孩說：只要你幸福，我也幸福。

到小男孩變成少年時，小男孩愛上了一個女孩。他跑來告訴樹說，他想造一隻船。樹就將她所有的枝幹給了小男孩，讓他造船。樹覺得很幸福。

後來小男孩長大成人了，他又來找樹幫忙：『我想造一座房子給我的妻子和孩子住。』。樹說：『那你就把樹幹拿去吧。』男孩就砍了樹造了房子。樹覺得很幸福。

小男孩後來老了，他又來到了樹跟前。樹說：『我現在真的不能再給你任何禮物了。我什麼也沒有了，只是一截老樹樁而已。』小男孩說：『我現在不需要太多。我只需要有一個地方讓我能坐下來休息一下。』樹說：『那你就來坐在樹墩上吧，樹墩是很好的坐下來休息的地方。』小男孩就坐下來休息。樹覺得很幸福。」

說完了這個故事。兒子接著加一句：「媽媽，你就像那棵樹。」我禁不住擁抱了他。很感動。但是，我問他：「從這個故事你學到了什麼？」他說：「老師說過的，不能光向別人要東西，自己也要回贈別人。」我說是的。並說那個小男孩有一點兒自私。如果他真的很愛那棵樹，那棵樹曾經給了他那麼多快樂的時光，那他就不應該砍掉那棵樹。兒子聽著，使勁點頭。

很喜歡這個故事。也很喜歡和兒子的這些談話。因了這些話，一早晨就變得明亮起來。做完事後，就去網上查這本書，原來是出自兒童詩作家Shel Shilverstein的一首兒童詩。也許這首詩後來被編成了故事書，因為，兒子說的故事與原詩有一些出入。

詩的原文是這樣的：

THE GIVING TREE

Once there was a tree who loved a little boy.
And everyday the boy would come to play
Swining from teh brannches, sleeping in the shade
Laughing all the summer's hours away.
And so they love.
Oh, the tree was happy.
Oh, the tree was glad.

But soon the boy grew older and one day he came and said,
"Can you give me some money, tree, to buy something I've found?"
"I have no money," said the tree, "just apples, twigs, and leaves."
"But you can take my apples, boy, and sell them in the town."
And so he did and
Oh, the tree was happy
Oh, the tree was glad

But soon again the boy came back and he said to the tree,
"I'm now a man and I must have a house that's all my home."
"I can't give you a house." Tree said, "The forest is my house."
"But you may cut my branches off and build yourself a home."
And so he did.
Oh, the tree was happy.
Oh, the tree was glad.

And time went by and the boy came back with sadness in his eyes.
"My lfe has turned so cold," and he says, "and I need sunny days."
"I've nothing but my trunk," she says, "But you can cut it down
And build yourself a boat and sail away."
And so he did and
Oh, the tree was happy.
Oh, the tree was glad.

And after years the boy came back, both of them were old.
"I really can not help you if you ask for another gift."
"I'm nothing but an old stump now. I'm sorry but I've nothing more to give."
"I do not need very much now, just a quiet place to rest,"
The boy, he whispered, with a weary smile.
"Well", said the tree, "An old stump is still good for that."
"Come, boy ", he said, "Sit down, sit down and rest a while."
And so he did and
Oh, the tree was happy.
Oh, the tree was glad.