: As the boy grew older, he visited less often. When he did return, he told the tree he wanted money to buy things. The tree, having no money, offered him her apples to sell in the city. The boy took the apples, and the tree was happy.
: Every day, the boy would visit the tree to play. He gathered her leaves to make crowns, climbed her trunk, swung from her branches, and ate her apples. When he was tired, he slept in her shade. The tree was happy. The Giving Tree (image pdf)
: Finally, the boy returned as a very old man. The tree apologized, saying she had nothing left—no apples, no branches, and no trunk. But the old man said he only needed a quiet place to sit and rest. The tree, now just an old stump, straightened herself up and offered him a seat. The boy sat down, and the tree was happy. : As the boy grew older, he visited less often
: The boy returned as a young man, now too busy to play. He wanted a house to keep him warm and a family. The tree offered her branches for him to build a home. The boy cut off her branches and carried them away, leaving her with only a trunk. The boy took the apples, and the tree was happy