Long ago, there was a huge apple tree. A little boy liked to come and play around it everyday. He climbed to the tree top, ate the apples, took a nap¹ under the shadow…he loved the tree and the tree loved to play with him.

Time went by…the little boy had grown up and he no longer played around the tree everyday.

One day, the boy came back to the tree and he looked. "Come and play with me ," the tree told the boy. "I am no longer a kid, I don't play around trees anymore." The boy replied, "I want toys. I need money to buy them."

"Sorry, but I don't have money…but you can pick all my apples and sell them. So, you will have money." The boy was so excited. He grabbed² all the apples on the tree and left happily. The boy never came back after he picked the apples. The tree was sad.

One day, the boy returned and the tree was so excited. "Come and play with me," the tree said.

"I don't have time to play. I have to work for my family. We need a house for shelter³. Can you help me?" "Sorry, but I don't have a house, but you can chop⁴（砍） off my branches to build your house."So the boy cut all the branches of the tree and left happily."

The tree was glad to see him happy but the boy never came back since then. The tree was again lonely and sad.

One hot summer day, the boy returned and the tree was delighted. "Come and play with me," the tree said.

"I am sad and getting old. I want to go sailing⁵ to relax myself. Can you give me a boat?" "Use my trunk to build your boat. You can sail faraway and be happy." So the boy cut the tree trunk to make a boat.

He went sailing and never showed up for a long time.

Finally, the boy returned after he left for so many years. "Sorry, my boy. But I don't have anything for you anymore. No more apples for you…" the tree said.

"I don't have teeth to bite," the boy replied.

"No more trunk for you to climb on." "I am too old for that now." the boy said.

"I really want to give you something…the only thing left is my dying⁶ roots," the tree said with tears. "I don't need much now, just a place to rest. I am tired after all these year," the boy replied.

"Good! Old tree roots is the best place to lean⁷ on and rest. Come,come sit down with me and rest," the boy sat down and the tree was glad and smiled with tears...