The Giving Tree Story For Kids

The reason that stories have been a part of children’s early education and not just entertainment is that they help children learn essential lessons, which otherwise are a little difficult to teach them. Parents will agree that it is a difficult job to make your child sit in one place and make them understand moral values or lessons. But stories give us a chance to impart these moral values and lessons to children while keeping them entertained.

In this article, we have covered “The Giving Tree” story in English along with its moral value for children to read and understand. Let’s read “The Giving Tree” full story below.

Origin And History Of The Giving Tree

“The Giving Tree” is an excellent heart-touching story for kids with an important lesson that kids must learn. The origin of the story lies in an American children’s picture book by Shel Silverstein. The story was published in 1964 by Harper & Row and became one of Silverstein’s best-known titles.

Story Type Of The Giving Tree

“The Giving Tree” is a story for children with an important lesson about caring and being thankful to our loved ones for all the things they do for us. Reading this story will help children learn new words and also support them in their emotional growth.

Story Characters

The characters of “The Giving Tree” story are:

• The tree
• The Boy

The Giving Tree Story For Children

Let’s read “The Giving Tree” story with pictures below.

Once, there was a tree that loved a boy, and every day that boy would come and gather her leaves to make them into crowns and play games. The boy would climb up her trunk and swing from her branches, eat apples, and play hide-and-seek. When the boy was tired, he would sleep in the tree’s shade. He loved the tree very much, and so did the tree.

Time went by, and the boy grew up. Now, the tree was often alone. One day, the boy came to the tree. The tree said to him, “Come, my boy, climb up my trunk and swing from my long branches and eat delicious apples, play in my shade and be happy!”

“I am now too big to climb and play,” replied the boy. “I want to buy some things and have fun. I want money. Can you give me money?” he asked.

“I’m sorry, but I have no money. I have only leaves and apples,” the tree said, “Take my apples and sell them in the city. Then you will have some money, and you’ll be very happy.”

So, he climbed up the tree to gather apples and carried them away to the city. The tree was happy again. But the boy didn’t return for a long time, and the tree was sad.

Then one day, the boy came back to the tree, and the tree shook with joy, and she said to him, “Come to me, my boy, and climb up my trunk and swing from my branches and eat apples and play in my shade.”

The boy replied, “I am too busy to climb you. I want a house to keep me warm.”

“I want a wife, and I want kids, and so I need a big house. Can you give me a house?” the boy asked.

The tree answered, “I have no house. This forest is my house. But you may cut off my branches to build a house. Then you will be happy.”

So, the boy cut off the tree’s branches and took them along to build himself a big house, and the tree was happy to help the boy. But this time, the boy  again disappeared for a long time, and when he came back, the tree was happy again.

“Come, my boy. Come and play.”

“I am too old to play,” replied the boy. “I want a boat to take me away from here. Can you give me a boat?” he said.

“Cut down my trunk and make yourself a boat,” replied the tree, “Then you can sail away and be happy.”

So, the boy cut down the tree’s trunk and made a boat, and the tree was again happy to help the boy.

After a very long time, the boy came back again.

“I am sorry, my boy,” the tree said, “but I don’t have anything left to give you. All my apples are gone.”

“My teeth are too weak for apples,” replied the boy.

“My branches are gone too. You cannot swing on them,” said the tree.

“I am very old to swing on branches,” answered the boy.

“My trunk is gone. You cannot climb,” said the tree.

“I am too old and tired to climb,” said the boy.

“I am very sorry. I wish that I could give you the things you want. I have nothing left. I am just an old stump. I am sorry, my boy,” sighed the tree.

“I don’t need anything now, just a quiet place to sit and rest. I am very tired.” said the old man who was once a boy.

“Well,” said the tree, straightening herself up, “Well, an old stump is good enough for sitting and resting. Come, my boy. Sit down, sit down and rest.”

And the boy did. And the tree was happy again.

Story Summary

Let’s take a look at the summary of “The Giving Tree”.

The story is about the life and friendship of an apple tree and a little boy, who develop a beautiful relationship with one another. The tree was very “giving” in nature, and eventually, the boy evolves into a “receiving” little kid, then a teenager, to a middle-aged man, and finally, an old man. Even though the boy ages in the story, the tree addresses him as a “boy” his entire life.

In his childhood, the boy enjoys playing with the tree, climbing its trunk, swinging from its branches, eating it’s apples, and many more things. But, as the boy grows older, he spends less and less time with the tree and tends to visit it only when he wants material items at various stages of his life. In an effort to make the boy content each time, the tree gives him parts of itself, which the boy can transform into material items, like money (from apples), a house (from branches), and a boat (from the trunk). In and after every stage of giving something, “the tree was happy.”

Finally, both the boy and the tree feel the sting of their respective “taking” and “giving” nature. When just a stump remains of the tree, the boy returns as a tired old man at it’s side. The tree tells the boy that it can no longer provide him shade, apples, or any materials like he did in the past. The boy ignores this and says that all he wants now is “a quiet place to sit and rest.” On hearing this, the giving tree, which is weak, being a stump, agrees. In this final stage of giving, the tree was happy again.

What Lesson Will Your Child Learn From This Story?

“The Giving Tree” will help your child understand multiple lessons like “loving someone unconditionally without expecting anything in return” and “joy of being with your loved ones”.

In the story, the bond between the boy and the tree is like that of a child and a parent. The boy at first loves the tree dearly, and the tree reciprocates the little boy’s love. But as the boy grows old, his priorities change according to his age, and he visits the tree less frequently. Yet, the old tree never wavers from it’s devotion to the boy. The tree loves the boy unconditionally and refers to him as a “boy” even when he has grown old. The tree is like a safe haven where the boy can take refuge and be assured of love and acceptance at all times.

How Can Children Apply The Lesson Of The Story In Their Real Life?

The kids can apply the lesson of this short story in their life by always appreciating the people they have in their life. As a parent, we must nudge our kids towards cultivating the habit of loving our dear ones unconditionally and without expecting anything. Children must be taught that happiness is in simple things, like being together with our loved ones.

Conclusion

We hope this story helped your child strengthen their reading skills while learning an essential lesson.

Also Read:

Old Woman In The Shoe Story for Children
Story of the Cow and Tiger for Kids
Dragon And The Princess Story for Children