基本信息
小男孩和蘋果樹
文/瑞喬·M·約翰翻譯/加法
內容
樹林裡有一棵蘋果樹。有一個小男孩每天都喜歡來跟蘋果樹玩。他上樹摘蘋果吃，在樹蔭里打盹，他愛這棵蘋果樹，蘋果樹也愛他。
時光飛快地過去。小男孩變成了大男孩。他不再跟蘋果樹玩了。一天，男孩回到蘋果樹身旁，他看起來很難過。
小男孩和蘋果樹“來跟我玩一會吧。”蘋果樹對他說。
“我不是小孩子了，我不會爬樹了，我需要玩具，我需要錢買玩具。”小男孩說。
“對不起，我沒有錢。不過你可以把我所有的蘋果摘下來拿去賣錢。”蘋果樹回答他。
小男孩打起精神來，它把所有的蘋果摘光了，然後快樂地離去。
摘了蘋果後，小男孩再沒有來看過蘋果樹，直到他長成一個男人。一天，他再次回到蘋果樹這裡。
“來跟我玩一會吧。”蘋果樹對他說。
“我沒有時間玩，我要工作來養活我的家庭。我們需要一所房子安身，你能幫助我嗎？”男人說。
“對不起，我沒有房子。不過你可以砍掉我所有的樹枝拿去蓋房子。”蘋果樹回答說。
男人打起精神來，他砍掉了所有的樹枝，然後快樂地離去。
看到男人快樂，蘋果樹也非常快樂，不過男人砍了樹枝以後再也沒有來看過蘋果樹。蘋果樹又孤零零了，它很傷心。
一個炎熱的夏日，男人回到蘋果樹這裡。蘋果樹高興地發抖。
“來跟我玩一會吧。”蘋果樹對他說。
“我一天比一天年紀大，我想去航海，讓自己放鬆下來。你能給我一條船嗎？”男人問。
“用我的樹幹去做條船吧。你就可以航行到很遠的地方，你會快樂的。”
於是男人砍了樹幹做了條船，他真的去航海了，並且很長時間沒有回來。
很多年以後，男人終於回來了。
“對不起，孩子，”蘋果樹愧疚地說，“我沒有什麼可以給你的了，沒有蘋果給你吃。”
“沒關係，我牙齒都掉光了，不能咬蘋果了。”男人說。
“也沒有樹幹給你爬。”蘋果樹說。
“沒關係。我太老了，爬不動樹了。”男人說。
“我真的沒有什麼可以給你，只有我快要枯死的樹根。”蘋果樹留著眼淚說。
“我並不需要什麼，只要有個地方能坐下來休息一下，經過這么多年，我太累了。”男人回答。
“那好！老樹根是最適合歇息的地方了，過來跟我坐一會兒吧。”蘋果樹高興地說，含著眼淚對男人微笑著。
這個故事送給每個孩子。蘋果樹就像我們的父母。
當我們年幼的時候，我們喜歡跟爸爸媽媽一起玩。等我們長大了，我們就離開父母。只有當我們有需要或者遇到麻煩的時候才回到他們身邊。無論怎樣，父母都一直在那裡，盡一切所能提供我們所需要的一切，只為我們快樂。
你也許覺得故事裡的小男孩對蘋果樹很殘忍。然而，我們中的每個人正是那樣對待我們的父母的。
愛你的爸爸媽媽吧，從這一刻開始。
A BOY AND HIS TREE
A long time ago, there was a big apple tree. A little boy loved to come and play around it every day. He climbed to the tree top, ate the apples, took a nap 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.
One day, the boy came back to the tree and looks sad. “Come and play with me,” the tree asked 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 picked all the apples on the tree and left happily. The boy didn’t come 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 shelter. Can you help me?” “Sorry, but I don’t have a house. But you can cut 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 didn’t appear 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 sailing to relax myself. Can you give me a boat?” “Use my trunk to build the boat. You can sail and be happy.” So the boy cut the tree trunk to make a boat. He went sailing and did not show 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 dying roots,” the trees said with tears. “I don’t need much now, just a place to rest. I am tired after all these years,” the boy replied. “Good! Old tree roots are the best place to lean on the rest. Come here, please sit down with me and have a rest.” The boy sat down and the tree was glad and smiled with tears…
This is a story of everyone. The tree is our parents. When we were young, we loved to play with Mom and Dad. When we grow up, we leave them, and only come to them when we need something or when we are in trouble. No matter what, parents will always be there and give everything they could to make you happy. You may think that the boy is cruel to the tree but that’s how all of us are treating our parents.
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